The Choices We Make
by deathoftheauthor
Summary: Revamp of the original TCWM. Join Scorpius, Rose, and Albus as they enter Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A new journey begins with new friendships, romances, challenges, and danger all lurking around the next corner. Not CC compliant. ScoRose.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

This is currently under construction. I'm attempting to fix editing mistakes before continuing with the story, and have currently deleted all progress to get a fresh start.

Thank you all for your patience.

* * *

It is a normal day at King's Cross Station. Well, as normal as any September 1st in the Wizarding World. If the everyday commuters were more observant, they would have seen some very peculiar sights, including a family of four, one of whom has vivid, fiery orange-red hair, one whom possesses a darker red-auburn hair color, and two of whom have rich chocolate brown hair. What is peculiar about this family isn't their hair (although it definitely is hard to come by that impressive red-orange and red-auburn color naturally), it is the young girl carrying a cart with a trunk, an odd, longish-shaped wrapped object, and most astoundingly, a snowy white owl. The pet owl might have been foreign to most ordinary families, but this particular family of red and brown hair is far from ordinary. In fact, some would say that they are extraordinary.

Every member of the aforementioned family are wizards, and not just ANY wizards, but the GRANGER-WEASLEY wizarding family. In the wizarding world, this name signifies respect and esteem, which unfortunately for the Granger-Weasley's, means no privacy. So to arrive at the train station on time and without the wizarding paparazzi hot on their trail is nothing short of a miracle.

"Alright Rosie, you and Mum will go first. Hugo and I will follow after with your cart. Be lively now. We don't want to attract any unwanted attention," Ron said as he glanced around at the station packed with unsuspecting muggles (non-magical folk).

As soon as Ron finished talking, a beautiful woman with mocha colored skin who appeared to be in her forties led an equally beautiful girl with toffee colored skin of around ten or eleven to the pillar between platforms 9 and 10. The woman and the girl, who appeared to be mid conversation, leaned slightly against the barrier to finish their conversation. However, it is unknown whether or not they were able to finish their conversation because they were gone as soon as they touched the barrier.

Once Ron realized that Hermione and Rose had made it through the barrier without difficulty and without anyone noticing, he turned to Hugo and grabbed the cart. "Ok Hugo, it's our turn now. I'll push the cart and start walking. Just make sure that you have a hold on the other side. We'll do this nice and easy so no one notices."

And with that father and son started walking towards the barrier, and like mother and daughter before them, they seemed to pass right through.

Once on the other side of the barrier, Ron and Hugo were approached by an anxious looking Rose Weasley. "There you are! I was worried sick that you guys would be locked out! That would be horrible since you have all of my clothes, books, and school supplies with you! Oh, and you also have Briella! I don't know what I would do if she got left behind! She was a present from Uncle Harry! She looks just like Uncle Harry's first owl—"

"Rose, sweetheart, give it a rest! Hugo and I came right behind you and Mum. Speaking of Mum, you're beginning to sound more and more like her every day! Why, I remember during our first year that your Mum told Uncle Harry and I that the worst thing that could happen to us would be getting expelled! Never mind that we were working against Vold—"

"Ronald! What have I told you about telling the kids stories about the war so flippantly!" interrupted a half annoyed and half amused Hermione Granger-Weasley.

"Sorry Mione! You know I can't resist! Besides, it seems to have calmed Rosie down."

Hermione then glanced at Rose who did appear to have calmed down. Although, Hermione attributed Rose's calmness to the fact that she had just spotted her cousin Albus and his family at the other end of the train station.

"Albus! Thank goodness you're here!" a grinning Rose said as soon as she reached her black haired and green-eyed cousin.

"See Al, you have nothing to worry about. I told you Rose would be here… And, it looks like she's all ready to take Hogwarts by storm!" Harry Potter joked to a nervous looking Albus and a blushing Rose.

"HARRY!" shouted Ron and Hermione upon catching up with Rose.

"Hi Ron, Hermione. Has today been as hectic for you guys as it was been for me and Gin? I swear that it was not this hard to get ready for school when we were this young."

"HUGO!" screeched a young, red-headed girl who had just come through the barrier with her equally red-haired mother.

While the girl ran and embraced her cousin, the woman began to anxiously scan the crowd as she approached the trio and children. "Has anyone seen James? I swore that he was just in front of us."

"Gin, you know James is starting his third year. He's too cool to be seen with his family. He's probably already on board with some of his friends!" a grinning Harry joked.

Ginny however, appeared far less amused. "Too cool for his family huh? We'll see how cool he is once I shoot one of my bat boogey hexes at him!"

"Aww c'mon Gin! Give the kid a break! We weren't so keen to spend forever in our parents clutches when we were kids!" Ron exclaimed.

All of a sudden the smoke from the train thinned, allowing the Potter and Granger-Weasley's to see the outline of another family. While the Potter and Granger-Weasley families were relaxed and talkative, the family of three at the other end of the station appeared to be the exact opposite. The pale man with the receding hairline was talking to his equally pale son. His wife stood on the other side of him with a comforting hand placed on her son's shoulder. The man was talking to his son about something, but it was hard to discern what he was saying. But whatever he was telling his son was serious, based on the grave expression on the man's face.

Upon seeing the man and his family, Ron bent down to Rose's level and said, "Make sure you beat him in every test Rosie. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

Before Rose could ask why her father wanted her to beat this mystery boy so bad, her mother retorted and told her father that he shouldn't try to turn her against the boy before they had even met.

Rose smiled to herself. This is why she adored her mother. She was one of the most caring, selfless, and brave people Rose had ever known. Rose had read all of the war books, and had heard tales of the war from her parents and all of her aunts and uncles, and the fact that her mother, Hermione Granger-Weasley, was standing here today was a testament of her mother's strength.

All of a sudden, a sharp whistle could be heard through the crowd. "Alright! It's time to board! Everyone say their last minute goodbyes. Ron could you help me with the luggage?" asked Ginny Potter as her husband Harry was a bit preoccupied with giving Albus some last minute advice, and Hermione was explaining to Lily and Hugo why they couldn't attend Hogwarts just yet.

Once the luggage was on the train, and everyone had said their goodbyes, Albus and Rose boarded. As the train began to move, Albus and Rose stood in the door and waved to both sets of their parents and younger siblings. Once the train rounded the bend, the duo stopped waving and gave each other nervous grins.

"Let's find an open compartment Albus. Then we can relax before we get to school," Rose said.

And with that, Albus Potter and Rose Weasley set off down the train that would lead them to the place where they would experience the greatest of wonders and meet the greatest of people.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose and Albus were making their way down the train aisle when one of the compartment doors opened with a bang. "There you lot are!" said a grinning James Potter. "We were all wondering if you lot had been left at the train station!"

The "you all" that James was referring to was the whole Potter and Weasley family who appeared to be crammed into one tiny carriage compartment.

"Well come on in! Dominique, move over," said Victoire, the Head Girl and oldest Weasley cousin.

Albus of course moved right into the compartment, even though there really hadn't been enough room in the first place.

"I think that I'll keep going. It looks a little tight," Rose said to an agreeing James before heading down the aisle. Rose thought over which book she should read to occupy herself until she arrived at Hogwarts as she passed one full compartment after the other. Before she knew it, she was at the very back of the train facing the last seemingly empty compartment.

Rose breathed out a sigh of relief before sliding the door open and flinging herself down onto the seat. Only, what Rose flung herself onto ended up being a person, not a seat.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there! I thought this compartment was empty. I'm so embarrassed. I can't believe I just sat on you! And here I was hoping to read my school books, but instead I managed to sit right on your lap," an incredibly red faced Rose rambled as she tried to avoid looking the person she sat on in the eye.

When only silence met her rambling apology, Rose decided it was acceptable to take a tentative peek at the person she on whose lap she sat. Rose turned a darker shade of red upon seeing that the person she sat on was the pale boy her father had told her to beat in every single test!

The boy was just staring at Rose. Upon close inspection, Rose could see that his eyes were blue. Not ocean blue like hers were, but a pale icy blue. But what intrigued Rose the most about the boy's eyes wasn't their color, but their expression. The boy's eyes were wide with shock, and possibly embarrassment? Rose wasn't sure about the later. Maybe it was her own embarrassment she saw reflected in his eyes. But beyond the shock of her sitting on him was curiosity, a certain warmth, and what struck Rose the most; a certain emotion that could only be described as hurt. This boy had hurt in his eyes. Rose didn't know why, but all she knew was that she wanted to make that hurt go away.

With awkwardness and embarrassment long forgotten, Rose stuck out her hand and introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Rose Weasley. I like reading, flying, and learning new things. I'm also rather clumsy, as you could guess since I fell on you. What's your name?"

"I'm Scorpius. Scorpius Malfoy," the boy replied. He did not take her hand.

"You're a Malfoy? I've heard all about the Malfoy family!" Rose exclaimed, perhaps a bit louder than she intended.

"I bet you have," Scorpius said gravely.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound offensive. I've just heard about your family from my family and from the books I've read. The Malfoy's are one of the oldest Pureblood families in the Wizarding World!" Rose exclaimed excitedly at sharing the knowledge she gained through reading.

"Yes, and a whole lot of good that has done us," Scorpius retorted.

"You know, you're nothing like my Dad described the Malfoy family," Rose said kindly and cautiously as she tried to gauge Scorpius's emotions.

"After the war, my father tried to distance himself as much as he could from the Malfoy family name. The war broke something inside of him. It made him question everything. He didn't know who he was or what he believed in anymore. He turned to alcohol for a while to try and cope. That's actually how my mother and father came to love each other. He told me that it was amazing that she fell in love and stayed with him even after the legal terms for their arranged marriage had passed. You know, I really don't know why I'm telling you all of this. A Weasley of all people. My Dad said you would probably hate me the most out of everyone at school because of what he did to your family. Especially your Mum in his own house," Scorpius exclaimed dejectedly.

"Your father can't be held accountable for what your great aunt did to my mother. Bellatrix Lestrange was the one who tortured my Mum and carved the word Mudblood into her arm. The only thing that your father did to my mother was make childish taunts at her while they were in school. My mother has forgiven your father for that. She realizes now that it couldn't have been easy to grow up being taught that Muggles and Mudbloods are inferior and that Voldemort was right," Rose retorted fiercely.

Scorpius looked surprised that Hermione Granger-Weasley had forgiven his father, since his father hadn't yet forgiven himself. "My father still hasn't forgiven himself for his role in the war. It's eating him up inside. He rarely smiles. If he does, it's usually only at me, my Mum, or my Grandmum," Scorpius said sadly.

"I'm sorry he feels that way. My Mum once told me that the only person you can change is yourself. You can't change other people or control what they do. Your father could not control Bellatrix Lestrange's actions. He could only control his own. My Uncle Harry said that your father refused to acknowledge that it was them when they were first brought to the manor. That was doing something! He chose to LIE to his own father by playing dumb about their identities. And now he's changed. He's taught you both sides of the war. He's warned you that you might not be well liked. I know for a fact that he's donated tons of money to war relief efforts and to St. Mungos. It sounds like your Dad has definitely changed for the better, Scorpius. He may not have been the greatest person back when he was a kid, but now it sounds like he's a pretty decent man," said Rose kindly. She had to restrain herself from reaching out and rubbing Scorpius's shoulder. Although she wanted to, she figured it was a bit too soon for that kind of comfort. Words would have to suffice for the time being.

After hearing Rose Weasley's defense of his own father, Scorpius gave Rose a tentative smile. But after a few seconds, that little smile turned into a full out toothy grin that Rose couldn't help but find adorable.

"You know, you're one of the only people that has ever said something nice about my father. And you're the only person aside from my family that has talked to me today. Everyone else turned tail once they saw it was me sitting in the compartment. I guess being seen with a Malfoy is social suicide now," Scorpius joked dryly.

"Well bugger on them then. Who cares what people think? The only one you need to impress is yourself!" Rose said indignantly on Scorpius's behalf.

After Rose's last statement, both Rose and Scorpius seemed to realize the serious nature of the conversation they had just ended. Upon realizing that, they both looked away from each other rather quickly.

After a few seconds of awkward silence and the clearing of a throat, Scorpius looked up at Rose and said a simple, "Thanks."

Rose simply smiled at Scorpius and before saying, "That's what friends are for."

"I've never really had a friend before. What do friends do?" Scorpius asked as he tried to fight off a slight flush.

"Well, for one, they talk just like we've been doing. They also share books, and food, and funny stories. Oh, hey, my Mum packed me some chocolate frogs! Want one?" Rose asked excitedly.

At Scorpius's nod, Rose got up to dig in her trunk for the snack bag her mother had so carefully packed for her. After locating the bag, Rose carefully divided the chocolate frogs into two equal piles, one of which went to Scorpius.

Soon the sound of rustling filled the compartment as both children tore into their candy.

"Hey, I've got Dumbledore! Wow, that's awesome! Who do you have?" Scorpius asked.

"Morgana. I have about six of those. Do you want her?" Rose replied as she pouted at her card.

"Yes please!" Scorpius exclaimed excitedly.

"You can have her then!" Rose said as she handed Scorpius the card.

All of a sudden the door to the compartment slammed open revealing and slightly disheveled and disgruntled Albus Potter. Albus's eyes shone with relief as soon as he located the familiar flash of his cousin's hair. "There you are. Thank Merlin you have a compartment by yourself. I've taken about as much of the family as I can get. You had the right idea earlier. I don't know what I was thinking trying to squeeze in with all five thousand of our cousins," Albus exaggerated as he flopped dramatically onto the seat beside Rose.

"You have five thousand cousins? I knew that your family was large, but I didn't realize it was that large!" Scorpius joked.

Albus froze and turned his head towards the new voice so fast that he creaked his neck. "What the! OW! Who are you, and are you making fun of our family?!" a wincing Al growled at a stunned and nervous looking Scorpius.

"For goodness sake Albus, couldn't you tell Scorpius was joking? Why'd you have to pull a James and just jump to conclusions? Scorpius is my friend. Please treat him as such," Rose said rather crossly.

"Scorpius? As in Scorpius MALFOY?! Rose, your Dad warned you to stay away from the whole Malfoy family! Don't you know what they've done to our family? To your MOTHER?" Albus practically screamed the last part in panic without regards to the fact that Scorpius was also in the compartment.

Rose however was well aware that Scorpius was still there, and that he now looked ashamed and embarrassed. And this was something Rose could just not tolerate. First, Scorpius had nothing to be ashamed of, and second, no one treated someone Rose cared about that way and got away with it, even if that someone was family. And with the famous Weasley temper roaring through her blood, Rose stood up to Albus and said, "ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER, JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO JUDGE SCORPIUS WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM? I ALREADY TOLD YOU HE IS MY FRIEND! DON'T YOU TRUST MY JUDGEMENT? DO YOU THINK I WOULD BE SITTING HERE WITH HIM, SHARING CHOCOLATE FROGS AND CALLING HIM MY FRIEND IF HE WAS ANYTHING LIKE MY FATHER HAD BEEN DESCRIBING THE MALFOY FAMILY? WELL GUESS WHAT! SCORPIUS IS SMART, KIND, AND FUNNY, NOT TO MENTION NOTHING LIKE HIS FATHER WAS LIKE WHEN OUR PARENTS WERE IN SCHOOL. AND SPEAKING OF HIS FATHER, HE'S CHANGED TOO! SO DON'T EVEN GO THERE WITH YOUR NEXT COMMENT ALBUS! NOW EITHER SIT HERE AND APOLOGIZE AND ACTUALLY TALK TO SCORPIUS, OR GET THE HELL OUT! Rose screamed at an opened mouth and embarrassed looking Albus.

For a few seconds all Albus could do was open and close his mouth like a goldfish and stare at the flushed and panting Rose, but when he finally could speak, he turned to Scorpius and said, "I'm sorry Scorpius. I was way out of line. Rose is right. I shouldn't have judged you without getting to know you. I pulled definitely pulled a James."

"It's fine. Apology accepted. I guess I should get used to it," Scorpius replied good-naturedly.

"Well, if you're Rose's friend, you're going to have to be my friend too. And friends always have each other's backs. Oh, hey, can I have a chocolate frog?" Albus asked excitedly, as he was easily distracted.

"Sure," Scorpius said as he tossed Albus a frog, which the latter enthusiastically caught.

And with that Albus and Scorpius began talking about what candy was the best, as if Albus hadn't just completely judged Scorpius a full two minutes ago.

Rose rolled her eyes at the boys as she took out one of her books to read for the remainder ride, now that she had calmed down and was sure Albus would be able to behave himself.

"Rose, what if I get into Slytherin?" a nervous Albus suddenly asked for the thousandth time.

"Albus, it doesn't matter what house you get into. Our family will love and support you no matter what. Besides, there is nothing wrong with Slytherin. Severus Snape was in Slytherin, and he was incredibly brave," Rose said as they traveled across the lake to Hogwarts.

"My whole family, minus my Mum, has been in Slytherin. If you get in Slytherin, maybe we can be together!" Scorpius told Albus.

"But how do you know you'll be in Slytherin?" Rose questioned curiously.

"Well I don't, but if my whole family has been in that house…" Scorpius began before being interrupted by an impatient Albus.

"Look, as Rose said earlier, you're nothing like how Uncle Ron or my Dad said the Malfoy family was like. I doubt you'll be in Slytherin," Albus said with a false since of finality.

"Well, I don't think you'll be in Slytherin either then!" Scorpius was quick to retort.

"Guys look! We're here!" Rose interrupted with a squeal as Hogwarts came into view.

One by one the boats landed and the kids got out. Once all of the kids were on land, they were greeted by the Herbology Professor, Neville Longbottom.

"Rose look, it's Uncle Nev!" Al exclaimed excitedly.

"Except we can't call him that now that we're at school Albus. Now shush, he's about to start talking!" Rose said as she flapped her hand in her cousin's direction.

"Hello first years. My name is Professor Longbottom. I teach Herbology here at Hogwarts and I am the Head of Gryffindor. You will soon enter into the Great Hall where you will be sorted by the sorting hat into one of the four houses. Gryffindor: home of the brave, Slytherin: home of the ambitious, Hufflepuff: home of the loyal, and Ravenclaw: home of the wise. Each house has something unique to offer and will teach you all you need to know. Now, if you'd all follow me," Neville said before opening the doors and leading the nervous first years into the Great Hall.

The doors to the Great Hall swung open to reveal the sight of four long tables packed with upperclassmen and ghosts. The whole sight was kind of overwhelming to Rose, Albus, and Scorpius as they had only heard stories and read books about Hogwarts. The real deal was so much more intense and astounding.

Professor Longbottom walked to the front of the Great Hall with a stool and an old wizard hat. The Great Hall became silent as the hat began to sing.

Rose was trying to listen to the song, but found that she couldn't over Albus's repeated mumbles of, "Not Slytherin, please not Slytherin."

Rose decided to ignore it for the first minute, but once she realized that Albus was not going to stop, she decided to make him stop by stomping down hard on Albus's foot. Albus made a high pitched squeal that unfortunately carried around the hall as the sorting hat had just finished singing. This caused a few sniggers as students looked around for the source of the sound. Luckily for Albus, who was an interesting shade of red, Professor Longbottom chose that moment to begin reading off the names of the first years about to be sorted.

"ANDERSON, MICHAEL!"

After some deliberation, the sorting hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR!" to the loud applause from the table decked in red and gold.

The sorting continued on until, "MALFOY, SCORPIUS!" was called to the front.

The hall suddenly became silent as everyone wanted to see where the son of an Ex-Death Eater would be placed.

The sorting hat took a long time to sort Scorpius, much to his discomfort. But, when the hat finally did decide, it shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

Dead silence.

There was no clapping. Everyone was stunned that a Malfoy had been placed anywhere but Slytherin.

Rose couldn't take it anymore, and poor Scorpius was frozen on the stool all red faced and embarrassed. She started clapping and hollering, and nudged Albus so he would do the same. Then the rest of the school followed their lead, and Scorpius was led over to the Ravenclaw table.

Nothing else noticeable happened until, "POTTER, ALBUS!" was called to the front.

The hat took a while with Albus too, but not as long as it took with Scorpius. But then, "RAVENCLAW!" The Ravenclaw table exploded with applause as a relieved looking Albus Potter stumbled over to sit next to a beaming Scorpius.

Rose was only vaguely aware that all the rest of the students were being called up. She was so busy being happy for Albus and Scorpius that it came as quite the surprise when Professor Longbottom came up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. Rose flushed and mentally cursed herself for not noticing that she had been called as she made her way up to be sorted.

When Rose put on the hat, she could hear the hat talking to itself, or her. She actually wasn't sure if the hat was talking to her, or just thinking aloud.

"Hmmm, another Weasley. I've sorted quite a few of you over the years. The rest of the clan is in Gryffindor, and you'd do well there. BUT. You are also a Granger. I see you take after your mother as opposed to your father academically. You also have a good heart and a good ability to sense reason and justice. There really isn't any other place for you other than, "RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table was absolutely beside themselves with happiness. They had gotten both a POTTER and a WEASLEY! Happy days, happy days!

A grinning Rose wove her way to the seat between Albus and Scorpius that they had made as soon as they heard that she would also be in Ravenclaw. And then, the food appeared. The three friends ate to their heart's content while meeting their fellow first years and upperclassmen. Then before they knew it, it was time for bed. They were led to the Ravenclaw tower where they then got ready for bed and almost immediately feel asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

The first few weeks of school were relatively normal for Rose, Albus, and Scorpius. Their routine went something like this: Wake up, get ready for the day, meet in the common room for breakfast, eat breakfast in the Great Hall, read their letters/the newspaper, and go to class. Then they would meet again for lunch in front of the Great Hall, and then go to class again right after. After that they ate dinner together, and then they would go do homework and study in the library. The three young Ravenclaws found a lovely little niche in the back of the library that they soon claimed as their own.

It was during one of these study sessions that Rose began to suspect that there was something going on with Scorpius. He was acting more reserved lately, and would often show up late to class or study time. Sometimes his clothes would be all messed up, and he would be shifty when asked why he was late.

"Albus, I'm worried about Scorpius. He's been acting all weird lately. It's like we've just met for the first time again on the train! Something's going on," Rose said worriedly.

"Rose, you worry too much. Scorpius is fine. Maybe he's being secretive because he has a secret girlfriend or something. I don't know. Just don't worry," Al said nonchalantly as he continued reading his passage.

"Albus, we're eleven. We shouldn't even be interested in the opposite sex yet," Rose chided.

"Opposite sex Rosie? Really? How old school can you get?" Albus teased.

"Shut it Albus," Rose said as she gave her cousin a playful shove.

Rose and Albus's playful bickering was interrupted by a late Scorpius. Upon close inspection, Rose realized that he had dark circles under his eyes, and that he looked more pale than usual. As Scorpius sat down in the seat across from her and Albus, Rose couldn't help but notice Scorpius's unintentional wince.

"Are you ok Scorpius? You look a little tired," Rose stated kindly.

"Yes, I'm totally fine! Why wouldn't I be fine? Can't a guy be tired?!" Scorpius whisper shouted back.

Rose and Albus exchanged a wide eyed look. Usually Scorpius would just brush off Rose's questions. This was the first time he had ever reacted so strongly to something Rose had said.

"Scorpius, you know you can tell Rose and I anything right?" Al stated apprehensively.

"We wouldn't judge or make comments if you just want someone to listen," Rose added.

"Sorry I snapped at you guys. I don't know what's gotten into me. I'm fine. I swear," Scorpius said in a falsely bright voice that Rose doubted even he believed.

Whatever was wrong with Scorpius, Rose was going to fix. She decided right then and there to get to the bottom of it. And she was dragging Albus along for the ride.

* * *

"Rose, do you really want to do this? I mean think about it. How would you feel if Scorpius just up and wrote a letter to your parents? Is this really necessary?!" Albus asked as he pleaded with Rose. He wanted her to see it from Scorpius's perspective.

"What else should I do Albus? It's been a month and a half since Scorpius's library outburst, and he's been acting strange ever since. You said he hasn't been sleeping well, and he barely eats at mealtimes. I'm worried about him! And, nothing you or I have said or done has seemed to make a difference. I'm doing this for his own good!" Rose retorted fiercely.

"But Rose… Have you ever thought that Scorpius might be acting weird and avoiding us for a reason?" Albus questioned quietly.

"What do you mean Albus?" Rose asked as her brows knit together in confusion.

"I mean, what if he's trying to send us a message? That he doesn't want to be friends anymore or something," Albus began before Rose interjected.

"Don't be ridiculous Albus. We're Scorpius's best friends! In fact, we might be his only friends. Oh great, now I have to worry about the fact that Scorpius doesn't have many friends! Oh, good, we're here," Rose said as they entered the Owlery.

"Great," Albus said unenthusiastically as he followed his cousin.

"Oh chin up Albus! This will work. It has to work. Come here Briella!" Rose called to her snowy white owl. "Alright, I want to read this through one more time. Feel free to give your input Albus."

 _Dear Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy,_

 _My name is Rose Weasley. You may remember my parents, Ron and Hermione, from school. I'm writing to you today about your son, Scorpius. He is one of my best friends. He is polite, nice, intelligent, and charming._

 _But that's not the reason I'm writing you this letter. I'm writing to you today because I'm worried about Scorpius. I've noticed a change in his overall behavior in the past couple of months. Recently, my cousin Albus and I have noticed that Scorpius has been acting more reserved and that he tends to keep more to himself, when at the beginning, he was engaged and talkative. Now Albus says that he has trouble sleeping, and he barely eats at mealtimes! Albus and I have tried talking to him, but he keeps insisting that everything is fine. I just have this feeling that everything isn't fine, and I don't like that he thinks or feels that he has to deal with this all by himself!_

 _I hope that you'll be able to talk to him and figure out what's been bothering him. I really care about your son, and I don't like seeing him hurting._

 _All the best!_

 _Rose Nymphadora Weasley_

"What do you think Albus?" Rose asked after they read the letter through.

"Well, it sounds really professional… But at the same time it sounds like you genuinely care, which is a good thing!" Albus hurriedly said after a look from Rose.

"Ok, well this is it... Briella, can you take this letter to Draco and Astoria Malfoy?" Rose asked her owl who then blinked her eyes and stuck out her leg. "I'll take that as a yes then."

"You know, even though I don't entirely agree with you sending the Malfoys that letter, it was a really brave thing to do," Albus said as the duo watched Briella fly off into the distance.

* * *

"So now what do you want to do now?" Albus asked as they were walking back to their common room.

"I don't know Albus. Maybe we could," Rose began before stopping suddenly in her tracks.

"Rose…?" Albus questioned as he stared at his cousin.

"Shhhh! Do you hear that?!" Rose whispered as she signaled for Albus to be quiet with her hand.

"Hear what?" Albus asked really confused.

But then he heard it too. The sounds were really muffled, but it sounded as if someone was fighting.

"Albus, we should go and see what's happening!" Rose whispered.

Albus nodded his consent and the duo tiptoed down the hall towards where the noise was coming from.

The sight that popped up before them made Rose's blood run cold. Scorpius Malfoy was jammed up against a wall by five burly fifth year Gryffindors. And these weren't any fifth year Gryffindors. The boy who had Scorpius pinned against the wall with his wand at his throat was none other than Jackson Monroe who was known around school for his crudeness and his ego, none of which painted him in a pleasant light.

"Well, if it isn't little Scorpy Malfoy. Son of the most cowardly Death Eater of them all. Well, just so you know, your grandfather killed my uncle and his family because my father refused to believe in that Pureblood mania shit! Well, guess who has the dirty blood now! All you Death Eater scum aren't worth shit," Monroe said as he spat in Scorpius's face.

"Now, what curse should we hit you with this time? I see that the ones we've used in the past haven't quite made you break… I guess we'll need to use something a bit stronger," Monroe said as he stroked his wand, apparently deep in thought.

"Oh, I know! But first, silencio. Suffering in silence only intensifies the punishment," Monroe said before pointing his wand at the middle of Scorpius's chest. "Curcio."

As the curse hit his chest, Scorpius began to squirm helplessly on the floor. As he writhed around in pain, Monroe and his crew laughed.

"Albus, we have to do something!" Rose frantically whispered. "I'm going to try to help him!"

"Rose wait!" Albus whisper shouted. "You can't just go in there against them! You could get hurt."

"Just try and stop me Albus Severus. Scorpius needs me! You go and get help. I'll try to buy Scorpius some time," Rose said as she took out her wand.

As Albus took off running down the hall to find help, Rose squared her shoulders and stepped up to the boys.

"Oi! Don't you know Unforgivables are worth a life sentence in Azkaban?" Rose asked with false bravado.

At the sound of her voice, Monroe and his cronies turned around.

"And who the hell are you, little girl?" Monroe smirked condescendingly.

"Rose Nymphadora Weasley. Daughter of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger-Weasley. Oh, and favorite niece to Head Auror, Harry Potter," Rose smirked in return.

"Oh, so you're a Weasley. You should technically be supporting us right now. I mean, we're sort of doing you a favor," Monroe said.

By this time, Rose had managed to place herself between Monroe and the semi-conscience Scorpius.

"And what favor would that be?" Rose asked icily.

"Well the Malfoy family gave your family shit, especially your mother. This little shit's family tortured your mother! And, they were huge supporters of You-Know-Who! And his father tried to kill Dumbledore," Monroe answered triumphantly.

"You don't know what you're talking about, and what you're doing is as bad as the Death Eaters did during the war! You're using the same curse the Death Eaters used to torture my mum!" Rose shouted.

"Please, we're nothing like the Death Eaters! We don't look down on people because of their blood. We look down on those who look down upon others! We're delivering justice where it wasn't served. The Malfoy family got off too easy after the war. They need to pay!" Monroe retorted. He was starting to get seriously ticked off at the young first year who was screwing up his fun.

"You call this justice? Torturing an innocent boy? That's not justice, that's revenge. And revenge only leads to more wrong doing," Rose tried to reason with the now visibly angry Monroe.

"Oh, I see. You're a traitor. You support these assholes! Reducto!" Monroe screamed at Rose who despite having her wand in her hand, was ill prepared to ward off the attack.

However, a different voice said weakly but clearly, "Protego!" so that Rose only received half of the blow that the curse delivered.

But, Rose smashed into the wall behind her nonetheless. As Rose was losing consciousness, she could swear she heard Albus yelling, and the angry voice of one Professor Minerva McGonagall. But she wasn't sure.

* * *

"ROSE!" Albus yelled joyously as Rose slowly regained consciousness.

"Where am I?" Rose asked groggily.

"The Hospital Wing," Scorpius answered from the bed next to hers. "They brought us both up here after the fight. We were all worried about you. You had lost so much blood," Scorpius said before Rose interrupted.

"Never mind me! What about you? I can't believe they used that, that curse on you! And it sounds like they've been targeting you for a while now!" Rose spluttered as she tried to comprehend what happened.

"Well, they have. It's been going on since before that time in the library where I freaked out at you and Albus," Scorpius said ashamedly.

"But then it's been going on for more than three months!" Albus all but yelled.

"Oh Scorpius, why didn't you tell us? We're your friends, we could've helped you!" Rose said with tears in her eyes.

"NO! You couldn't have helped. You don't understand. Monroe said if I told anyone that he would hurt you guys! You're my only friends, I couldn't let you guys get hurt. That would hurt worse than all the curses they fired at me!" Scorpius said quickly.

Before Rose or Albus could respond to Scorpius's revelation, the hospital doors swung open with a bang to reveal a very angry Ron Weasley, and a very pale looking Draco Malfoy.

"WHAT DID YOUR SON DO TO MY DAUGHTER MALFOY?!" Ron Weasley yelled. He was in the middle of the infamous Weasley temper.

But Draco didn't pay attention to the furious Ron. He only had eyes for his son, who admittedly looked worse for wear.

"Dad! Scorpius didn't do," an embarrassed Rose began to say only to be cut off by a furious Hermione Granger-Weasley.

If a mad Ron Weasley was scary, then an angry Hermione Granger-Weasley was drop dead terrifying.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS?! WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE WE LEFT THE HOUSE!" Hermione screamed at a now red faced and embarrassed Ron.

"You're just like James," Ginny said as she, Harry, and Astoria all entered the hospital wing.

"SCORPIUS!" Astoria cried as she raced over to her son's bed.

Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny all went over to their children, leaving Draco Malfoy standing alone in the center of the infirmary.

Everyone was silent, except for the mothers fretting over the welfare of their children when Draco suddenly exclaimed, "THIS IS ALL MY BLOODY FAULT! IT'S MY FAULT THAT MY SON IS IN THE HOSPITAL RECOVERING FROM THE CRUCIATIS CURSE AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE!"

Hermione gasped upon hearing the word "Cruciatis." "Rose, is this true? What on earth happened?!" Hermione asked Rose worriedly. "Were you hit too?"

"She bloody better not have been!" Ron retorted. He had concern and murder in his eyes.

"Why don't Rose, Albus, and Scorpius tell us what happened from the beginning," Harry suggested as he kept his own worry in check.

After sharing a quick look with Rose and Albus, Scorpius began the tale of how Monroe and his cronies had approached him a few months back, only to start harassing him. At first it had started as nasty words, but then it escalated to physical violence. The day in the library that Scorpius freaked out on Albus and Rose had been the first day that Monroe had physically hurt him. And it was then that he told Scorpius that he would hurt Albus and Rose if he ever told anyone about what was happening.

By the end of Scorpius's tale, Astoria, Draco, Hermione, Ginny, and Rose were all openly crying while Harry, Ron, and Albus all looked sick to their stomachs.

"We need to find this Monroe fellow Ron. He needs to be found. He's already used one Unforgivable. We need to bring him in," Harry said shakily.

With that, he and Ron got up to leave the library. They were almost to the door when they were stopped by a determined looking Draco Malfoy. "Potter, Weasley, wait. I'm coming with you," Draco said.

"Look Malfoy, I'm not sure this is such a great," Harry began only to be interrupted by Draco.

"Save it Potter, this is my son we're talking about here. I'm not letting anyone get away with treating my family this way!" Draco said fiercely. There was a dangerous, almost manic look in his eyes.

"But that's why I don't think you should come. You're not in your right mind," Harry said calmly.

"Draco, I think Harry's right. This needs to be handled by the authorities. From what the kids have told us, it seems like this Monroe has a vendetta against all former Death Eaters for some personal reasons. If you go and lose control, this will end up reflecting badly on you and your family. You need to trust Harry and Ron on this. We'll bring Monroe to justice," Hermione said soothingly.

"And how do you plan on bringing Monroe to justice, Granger?" Draco asked in a more calm manner.

"It's Weasley now. And, as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I vow that I will do everything in my power to help you and your family. Scorpius is Rose's friend. Therefore, he is a friend to our family as well," Hermione said as she looked at Rose who was looking at Scorpius. Scorpius, on his part, was totally oblivious to Rose's gaze, but Hermione was all too aware of what that look meant. After all, it was the same look she gave Ron every day.

"Draco, please. We need to think things through. This is our son we're talking about," Astoria said as she put her hand through Draco's.

After a few deep, deep breaths, Draco reluctantly handed the reins over to Harry and Ron. "Fine, we'll do it your way. You have the full and undisclosed use of the Malfoy fortune to use to bring Monroe in. If you don't succeed, then we're doing this my way. Oh, and, we are going to bring Scorpius home a week early. It's the week before Christmas holidays. The official story will be that we're vacationing in France to visit Astoria's sister. I trust that you will stick to the official story," Draco said before stepping out of the library with his wife. He wanted to see what McGonagall was doing to discipline the kids before Harry and Ron got to them.

"We should go too. We need to make sure our husbands are doing everything by the book. It would be quite a story for the papers if both the Head and Deputy Head of the Auror Office got arrested for acting too exuberant," Ginny said as she got up to find her husband.

"We'll see you later. Everything will work out in the end, you'll see," Hermione added as she followed Ginny out the door.

"How are you feeling Scorpius?" Rose asked once the adults had left.

Scorpius turned to Albus and Rose and offered them the first genuine smile they had seen in months. "Better, definitely better."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose, Albus, and Scorpius found the Christmas Holidays quite a relief. They were finally away from all of the questions and rumors that had been flying around the castle since the attack on Scorpius. With Scorpius out of school a week early, the brunt of the questions had landed on Rose and Albus's shoulders. But, as the holidays wore on, the trio couldn't help but wish to be back at Hogwarts. After all, there is only so much molly-codling an eleven year old can handle.

"SCORPIUS!" Rose and Albus shouted as they made their way into the common room at the start of the new term.

"How did you manage to get here before us?" Albus asked amazed.

"Well, us Malfoys have some pretty nifty connections!" Scorpius said with a wink.

"Oh, haha. Now you decide to pull the Malfoy card," Albus joked.

Rose and the rest of the common room watched in amusement as Albus and Scorpius started an all-out bickering war over who could make their family sound the most pretentious. Scorpius won.

Rose couldn't help but shake her head and smile. While the boys were acting a bit immature for her taste, she was just happy that Scorpius looked healthy and happy again. She had really missed hearing him laugh and seeing him smile.

"Rose, Albus, Scorpius! How were your holidays?" a voice asked from behind them.

Rose stopped daydreaming and turned to face her best girl friend, Mei Corner. Mei Corner was the daughter of Michael Corner and Cho Chang-Corner.

"Mei! How are you? It's so good to see you! Albus and I basically had the same holiday. Christmas morning at our separate houses, and then a giant family celebration at the Burrow in the evening. It's always fun, but it can be a bit overwhelming since our family is so big," Rose finished breathlessly.

"Jeez, Rose! Could you talk any faster?" Albus teased.

"That sounds like so much fun! What about you Scorpius?" Mei asked.

"Well, I went to France to visit my Aunt Daphne and her family the week before break. Other than that, my family just stayed at home," Scorpius said.

"What about you Mei? How was your Christmas?" Albus asked.

Rose glanced at her friend when she didn't answer Albus's question right away and came to the startling conclusion that Mei was blushing over her cousin Albus! Dorky Albus! Rose realized that most girls were interested in boys with the exception of the few who were questioning or realizing their interest in girls, but she didn't think Mei liked anyone yet. When the other girls in the dorm would talk about boys, she and Mei would usually be discussing the day's HW, what they would like to do when they were older, or their favorite books. They even joked about how silly it sounded for eleven year old girls to be gushing about boys! And now Mei here was blushing over Albus Severus Potter. What had the world come to? They would need to talk about this at some point.

Rose nudged Mei to get her to pay attention. Mei let out a startled, "Oh!" which was quickly followed by, "Oh, my Christmas was lovely! We got together with our family, and then took a trip to China to see more of my mother's culture! It was so amazing!"

"Wow, that sounds so cool! I've never been out of the country before," Albus exclaimed wistfully.

"What are you talking about Albus? We've been to France to visit Aunt Gabrielle!" Rose said with an eye roll.

"Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot about that!" Albus said sheepishly.

All of a sudden, the four friends burst out into uncontrollable laughter, which caused many of the other students to look around in confusion for the source of their laughter. When they didn't see anything out of the ordinary, the other students just figured that Rose, Albus, Scorpius, and Mei were just weird.

* * *

The weeks seemed to fly by now that Monroe and his cronies were expelled from school. Before Rose, Albus, and Scorpius realized, it was already February, and the trio was at their usual spot in the library studying for an upcoming test. Well, Rose was the only one studying since she had already finished that week's homework.

"Albus, can you quiz me on the Twelve Uses of Dragon's Blood?" Rose asked frantically. "I bet it'll be on our next Potions exam!"

"Rose, Albus and I are trying to do our homework that's due for this week. We can't all be as smart and organized as you and finish our homework for the whole week by Tuesday. Besides, the test you're talking about is two weeks away!" Scorpius said half amused and half exasperated. "Furthermore, you got a 112% on our last Potions test. I think you'll be fine."

"Seriously, I think Slughorn was about to have an apoplexy," Albus joked as he shook his head at his cousin.

"How can she study so hard without getting bored? I mean, I know we're Ravenclaws, but come on!" Scorpius said.

"Mate, that's her mum showing through. Dad said that Aunt Hermione was just like Rose was when they were in school. She wrote out a study schedule for him and Uncle Ron!" Albus said in a low voice.

"No way! That's taking it too far! Rose better not do that to us!" Scorpius said back.

Scorpius and Albus's conversation was interrupted by an irate Rose Weasley. "Oi! I'm trying to study! Take your complaints somewhere else!"

After glancing at each other, Albus and Scorpius decided that the best way to get back into an irate Rose Weasley's good graces would be to grovel and compliment at the same time.

"Come on Rosie, you know we were just kidding! We love you!" Albus said in what he thought was an irresistible voice.

"You're required to love me. You're my cousin! Besides you can't speak for Scorpius," Rose said from behind her Potions book.

After some eye encouraging from Albus, Scorpius decided it was his turn to give it a try. "Rose, you are the brightest, most intelligent, kind hearted, funny, and beautiful bookworm to ever grace this library. Would you do me the honor of coming out from behind your book and gracing us with your irresistible blue eyes?" Scorpius said in his most charming Malfoy voice.

When Rose emerged from behind her book, she had a lovely blush sprinkled across her cheeks. "Thanks Scorpius, but I think you were describing my mother there!" Rose joked a bit breathlessly.

"Seriously Scorpius! That was fantastic! You'll have to teach me how to do that!" Albus said as he stared at his friend in awe.

"No Rose, while I'm sure your mother is an amazing bookworm also, the person I just described is you. You're all of those things and more. And I'm not your family, so don't even say that I'm obligated to say that. You're amazing, and that's why I'm glad you're my best friend," Scorpius said sincerely.

While Rose was ecstatic to find out that Scorpius thought all of those wonderful things about her, she was still caught up on the best friend part. She didn't know why that bothered her since they were best friends, but it did.

Rose shook her head to clear her thoughts. The problem with the words "best friends" was something to think about on a different day. Right now she needed to be studying.

* * *

It was Valentine's Day, and Hogwarts was awash in pinks, purples, whites, and reds. Everywhere one looked, they would see floating hearts and roses. And, if one looked closely, they would even see Peeves dressed up as Cupid. All of the older students, particularly the girls, were all gaga about the holiday, much to the annoyance and disgust of both Albus and Scorpius.

"Roooose! Why do girls like Valentine's Day so much? It's so icky!" Albus complained as he scrunched up his nose like a five year old.

"Seriously. This holiday basically forces men to buy the girl they fancy expensive gifts. It's rather tacky and desperate in my opinion," Scorpius added as he looked down his nose at the confetti sprinkled across the table.

Rose rolled her eyes at the two boys. Did they seriously not understand romance? "Do you guys know what romance is?" Rose questioned incredulously.

All she got were blank looks until Scorpius answered, "Of course we know what romance is! But what does it matter?"

"What does it matter?! Valentine's Day is all about ROMANCE! It's about love and loyalty. I think it's a beautiful holiday. Look at Dominique and her boyfriend Nick Wood! They've been together for three years. He's given her a beautiful diamond heart necklace to show her how much he cares. It's so romantic," Rose practically sighed as she watched her cousin with her boyfriend over at the Gryffindor table.

"Romantic?" Scorpius asked incredulously. "How is that romantic? He's only giving her that necklace because of the holiday. If Valentine's Day didn't exist then he probably wouldn't have bought her the necklace!"

"Ugh, Scorpius, why do I even bother? You wouldn't know what romance was even if it was staring you in the eye!" Rose said heatedly.

"Oh yeah? Well I'll let you know that," Scorpius began to retort before being cut off by an embarrassed Albus.

"Guys, quit staring at each other and arguing. You're being really loud and everyone is looking over at us! You're being embarrassing," Albus said from behind the fruit bowl.

It was then that Rose and Scorpius realized that they were indeed causing quite the scene. All of the couples around them had turned to watch their heated debate. This caused Rose to blush the famous Weasley blush and for Scorpius to smile sheepishly and scratch the back of his head.

Luckily the owl post arrived which took attention away from Rose and Scorpius. Even Albus poked his head over the fruit bowl to see if there were any owls heading his way.

All of a sudden a large ministry owl landed in front of a nervous looking Scorpius. Scorpius took the letter from the owl and opened it. After reading it, he quickly shoved it at Rose so that she and Albus could read it too.

Rose and Albus glanced at each other before starting to read.

 _Dear Mr. Malfoy,_

 _The trial against Jackson Monroe will be held on April 15th. You are expected to show up to the trail and sit as the prime witness for the prosecution. You will surrender your wand upon arrival at the Ministry, and then you will take some Veritaserum before your testimony._

 _Yours truly,_

 _William Anderson_

 _Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

Rose and Albus glanced at each other once again before turning to look at Scorpius.

"Well, at least he's going on trial," Scorpius managed weakly.

"Yeah, and a Happy Valentine's Day to you too," Albus mumbled to the owl that had brought the letter.

* * *

February turned into March, and before the trio knew it, April had arrived. Scorpius tried to pretend that he wasn't nervous, but his constant restlessness gave him away. Albus tried to cheer him up, but all he ended up doing was giving Scorpius something new to worry about. Rose on the other hand, invested all of her free time in the library to research past court cases and rules. She would often drag Scorpius and Albus along with her.

It was during one of these research sessions that Mei approached the trio with a letter from Professor McGonagall.

"Oh, thanks!" Albus said to a blushing Mei. "Hey! McGonagall says that Aunt Hermione is here! And she wants to talk to the three of us in McGonagall's office," Albus whispered to Rose and Scorpius.

After hurriedly gathering together all of their belongings, the trio headed up to Professor McGonagall's office. Once there they were greeted by the sight of all of their parents. This sight alone was enough to make Rose, Albus, and Scorpius stop in their tracks.

"Ermmm, are we in trouble?" Albus asked nervously.

"No, Albus. You aren't in trouble. Aunt Hermione is here to help you all prepare for the trial since it's only a week away," Uncle Harry said. "Unless of course there is something you should be in trouble for," he then added while shooting Albus a questioning look.

"Nope Dad. James is the trouble maker, not me," Albus said in all seriousness, which caused Ron to snort and Ginny to roll her eyes.

After glaring at Ron, Hermione turned towards Rose, Albus, and Scorpius. "Harry was right; you lot aren't in trouble. I'm here to help prepare you for your trial. By now, you've all received your letters with the date of the trial. In the letter they tell you that you are to leave your wand upon entrance to the Ministry. They also tell you that you are to take Veritaserum before giving your testimony. Do you know what that is?" Hermione asked kindly.

Rose raised her hand to answer her mother's question. Albus and Scorpius traded glances and tried not to laugh. Ron and Harry however couldn't quite control themselves.

"Dad, Uncle Harry, why are you laughing? I don't get what's so funny," Rose said in a puzzled voice.

"Sorry Rosie, it's just that you looked so much like your mother there with her hand raised in the air. I mean, this isn't school. You don't have to raise your hand!" Ron said between laughs.

"Oh, Ronald, grow up. You're laughing at your daughter," Hermione said with an eye roll.

"Well, now that I think about it, I see what Potter and Weasley find so funny Granger. She does look a lot like you, only with hair color closer to that of Weasley's," Draco added almost as an afterthought.

At this, Hermione, Ginny, Astoria, and Rose all exchanged eye rolls.

"It's ok Rose. It's scientifically proven that men mature more slowly than women," Hermione said with a wink that caused Rose to giggle and Ron and the rest of the men to scowl. "You can answer the question now. But in the future, you don't have to raise your hand dear," Hermione said.

"Veritaserum is a truth potion. The most powerful one in the wizarding world. Being under the influence of Veritaserum is the equivalent of being under the Imperius Curse. You have no control over what comes out of your mouth once you're under, just like you cannot control your actions when under the Imperius. That's why Veritaserum is illegal to use unless in conjunction with standardized and supervised ministry control," Rose finished as she looked at her mum for confirmation.

Hermione nodded her head and beamed at her daughter, who was remarkably like her. "That's right! This is why we're going to practice some questions and answers under the use of Veritaserum today. We are not going to ask any questions pertaining to the case, but we do want you to be familiar with how being under the influence of the truth potion feels. You don't need any surprises on the day of the trial. So, who wants to go first?" Hermione asked while looking at the kids.

"I'll go," said a determined looking Scorpius.

"Perfect! If you'll step right over here... Veritaserum is colorless and odorless. It is also tasteless. However, the consistency is slightly thicker than that of water," Hermione said while giving Scorpius a small beaker full of the potion.

"Well, here goes nothing," Scorpius as he chugged the beaker in one swig.

"Scorpius, Harry is going to start questioning you now," Hermione said. "I'll be watching and taking notes."

At his cue, Harry stepped up to stand in front of Scorpius.

"What is your full name?"

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy."

"What is your favorite color?"

"Ocean blue. It's very pretty."

"What is your greatest fear?"

"Losing the ones I love."

"Alright, I think that's enough. The potion should wear off any minute now," Hermione said as she finished taking notes. "Rose, why don't you go next? Harry will ask you the same questions."

After Rose took the potion, Harry stepped in front of her. She was asked the same questions as Scorpius was. And then Albus went through the same process. When the questioning was done, Hermione stood up and beamed at the children.

"Well done you lot! I think that you'll be well prepared for the trial," Hermione said. "You guys are free to head back to your common room."

As they gathered up their stuff, Rose glanced back to her mum who was having a serious conversation with the adults. "Why don't you two go ahead? I just want to talk to my mum for a bit," Rose said as she made her way to her mom.

"Mum, can I talk to you for a minute?" Rose asked once she reached Hermione.

"Sure sweetheart. What do you need?" Hermione asked as she and Rose made their way to the opposite side of the room.

"Mum, do you think the Wizengamot will judge this trial fairly and unbiased?" Rose asked her mum uncertainly.

Hermione looked at her daughter in surprise. "Rose, why do you think the Wizengamot would judge the trial any other way?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I was doing research on old trial cases. The one with Uncle Harry and all of the Death Eater trials. The Ministry was extremely biased against Uncle Harry because they didn't want to accept that Voldemort was back. And almost everyone has some prejudice against former Death Eaters and their families. Some members of the Wizengamot lost family members during the war. Susan Bones lost her aunt, and she's an important member of the court! I just don't want people to look the other way just because Scorpius's last name is Malfoy," Rose said. Hermione could tell that her daughter was really worried about this.

"You really care for Scorpius, don't you?" Hermione asked Rose knowingly.

"I really do. He's one of my best friends! When he's hurt, I hurt, and all I want to do is make that hurt go away," Rose said. "And if this trial goes bad, it'll tear him apart! And I can't bear to see that," Rose almost wailed.

"Rosie, calm down! I can personally guarantee that Scorpius will receive a fair and just trial. Even if people do have prejudices and biases, I'm confident that they will leave them at the door. That is what their job is. If they fail in that then they will lose their jobs. Kinglsey and I personally selected each and every member of the Wizengamot based on their abilities to be rational, and detached from the past," Hermione assured her daughter.

"Thanks mum. I guess I just really needed to hear that," Rose said as she tentatively smiled at her mom.

"It's more than fine sweetheart. Why don't you go and spend the rest of your evening with your friends? It's getting awfully late. We'll see you next week," Hermione said as she gave her daughter a hug.

* * *

The day of the trial was warm and sunny. It was a perfect transition day into spring. Rose, Albus, and Scorpius were going to side along apparate to the Ministry with the Malfoy family and Ginny.

"Alright. Albus, you're coming with me. Scorpius, you'll be going with your father. Rose, you'll be with Mrs. Malfoy. We're going to have to apparate separately and then go down one at a time to the pretrial meeting room," Ginny informed everyone. "Scorpius, you'll be going first."

And with a slight popping noise, Draco and Scorpius disappeared.

After waiting a few minutes, Ginny disappeared with Albus.

Astoria Malfoy looked at Rose and offered her an arm. "Are you ready sweetheart?" she asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Rose replied before Astoria disapparated them to the Ministry.

When Rose and Astoria arrived in the Atrium, they were bombarded by the wizarding paparazzi and a swarm of reporters.

"Mrs. Malfoy! Is it true that your son is standing trial today for violence against a fellow student?"

"Is it true that your son is proficient in the Dark Arts?"

"Mrs. Malfoy, Rose! Look over this way!"

"Rose Weasley! Is it true that you're actually friends with Scorpius MALFOY?!" a pesky reporter asked as he all but shoved his magical microphone down Rose's throat.

"Please let us pass. We're just trying to get through," Astoria asked of the swarm of people surrounding them. "Just ignore them Rose. They're just going to print lies no matter what you say," Astoria said under her breath.

When it seemed that the reporters and photographers weren't going to let them pass, Astoria decided it was time to act. With a wave of her wand, she produced a beautiful silver dove that flew over the heads of everyone and disappeared through the wall.

"What was that?" Rose asked.

"That my dear was my Patronus. I've gone to ask for assistance," Astoria replied.

As soon as she was done talking, the lift on the far side of the Atrium opened up to reveal an angry looking Draco, Harry, and Ron.

"YOU ALL HAVE THIRTY SECONDS TO DISAPPEAR BEFORE I ARREST YOU ALL FOR HARRASSMENT AND TRESSPASSING!" an angry Harry said in his magnified voice.

As soon as Harry made his statement, all of the reporters and paparazzi disappeared with a pop.

Rose and Astoria made their way over to Draco, Harry, and Ron and got into the lift with them.

"We're sorry you had to go through that. We thought we had security tight enough to keep them at bay," Harry said apologetically.

"Well, it obviously wasn't tight enough Potter seeing as my wife nearly got mauled with a microphone and blinded by the flashes of cheap cameras," Draco retorted angrily.

"Draco, really, I'm fine," Astoria said in protest before being cut off by Ron.

"Oi! Don't forget my daughter was there next to your wife! She had to deal with the same thing she did. It was a mistake! But rest assured we will get to the bottom of this!" an angry Ron said back to Draco.

Rose was really quite thankful that they were the only ones in the lift. It was rather embarrassing seeing your father having an argument with his old school rival.

"Daaaaaad. Can you please NOT argue with Mr. Malfoy? It's really, really embarrassing. Scorpius and I are friends. Can you just get along for our sake?" Rose asked pleadingly.

This shut Ron and Draco right up. It was as if they suddenly realized the effect their petty arguing was having on those around them.

"Oh for heaven's sake Draco, just shake his hand! I for one am quite fed up with this too!" Astoria said crossly. "Besides, Rose is a great friend to Scorpius. You remember the letter she sent us?" Astoria prompted with a fierce look in her eyes.

"What letter? What are you talking about?" Ron demanded.

"Dad, I sent the Malfoys a letter about Scorpius because I was worried about him. And it turns out I was right to be worried! That's why we're here. I think we should remember that and focus on Scorpius right now," Rose said looking at each one of the grownups.

"Rose is right. We need to focus and appear as a team. As much as I hate to say this, appearances do matter in this case," Harry said sadly.

At an imploring look from his wife, Draco Malfoy sighed and stuck out his hand for Rose's father to take. "Well, Weasley, what do you say to a truce? For the sake of the trial and the sake of our children?" Draco asked.

Ron shook Draco's hand and smirked. "I'll agree to that Malfoy. For the sake of the trial and our children. This doesn't mean that I like you though."

"I wouldn't want it any other way Weasley," Draco drawled back.

"Rose, I'm nervous! What if they don't believe me?" a slightly hysterical Scorpius asked Rose.

"Scorpius Malfoy, look at me. You'll be fine. We believe you! We all have your back. My Mom assured me that you will receive nothing but a fair trial," Rose said to reassure Scorpius.

"Stop talking, the trial is about to begin!" Hermione said to the whispering Rose and Scorpius.

And so the trial began. First Albus was called up to the stand, then Rose. Both were questioned by Hermione, and Monroe's defense attorney, Robinson. By the time it was Scorpius's turn, everyone was confident that the trial would go in Scorpius's favor.

Then it was Scorpius's turn to be questioned. Rose watched as he answered every single one of her mother's questions in a calm and concise manner. Rose was pleased to note that Scorpius did not appear to be the least bit nervous like he was before the trial started. Rose did become nervous when it was Scorpius's turn to be questioned by Robinson.

"What is your position on blood purity?" Robinson asked. "Be mindful that you're under the influence of Veritaserum."

"Blood status means nothing to me. My best friends are Rose Weasley and Albus Potter, and they're Half-Bloods. Rose's mother is a Muggle-Born, and she's one of the nicest people I know," Scorpius replied truthfully.

While Robinson did appear slightly taken aback by Scorpius's reply, he decided to continue in the current direction of his line of questioning. "Did your mother and father ever teach you about the Dark Arts?" Robinson asked.

"Objection! How does this question relate to the case?" Hermione demanded.

"Sustained. Please move on to your next question," the Head of the Wizengamot answered.

After that, Robinson's questions went downhill. He was unable to think of any questions outside of the ones he had already made.

Then it was Monroe's turn to be questioned.

Hermione made her way up to the stand and looked Monroe in the eye. He would pay for what he did to her daughter and her friend. As Hermione continued in her line of questioning, Monroe's chances of looking innocent dwindled significantly.

"Why did you attack Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

"Because his grandfather killed my uncle and his family for not believing in Pureblood superiority. And because it was my job," Monroe replied under the Veritaserum.

Monroe's last statement shocked everyone in the courtroom.

"What do you mean it was your job?" The Head of the Wizengamot asked.

"The Brotherhood assigned me that job. I was to make the Malfoy family pay by targeting the heir to the bloodline," Monroe answered.

"And who is the Brotherhood?" the Head asked.

"They're a… group. Of sorts. We have… get togethers. We… talk," Monroe said while seemingly struggling to find the words.

"How many people are in the Brotherhood?" the Head asked.

"The true number is unknown. We tell by our marking," Monroe stated.

"And what marking is that?" the Head asked.

"This," Monroe said as he stood up and took off his shirt. On his chest was a tattoo of two hands with two swords joined together at the top. "That is how you know you're part of the Brotherhood. We have plans. We'll make the guilty pay. We're going to," Monroe suddenly stopped talking and began gasping for air. It was like an invisible hand was choking the life out of him.

The courtroom exploded. Harry and Ron were running towards the stand to get Monroe while Hermione, Ginny, and Astoria were trying to shield the children's eyes from the sight of the dying boy. The only one who wasn't doing anything was Draco Malfoy. He was standing stock still in the middle of the courtroom with wide eyes and an expression of shock on his face.

As he looked upon the dead body of Jackson Monroe, he said, "So it's true. The Brotherhood really does exist."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

It was the last week of the summer holidays before school started, and Rose Weasley and Albus Potter were spending it honing their Quidditch skills at the Burrow. Rose and Albus, being traditional Ravenclaws, had finished their school work during the first two weeks of summer vacation while the rest of the Potter and Weasley family had waited until now to even crack open their school books.

"Albus! How was my time?" an out of breath Rose asked as she came to a sudden stop at the end of the new and improved Quidditch pitch.

"Wow Rose, that was your best time yet! You dodged all of those hoops and bludgers in 45 seconds! You're new Lightning Bolt is truly amazing. You'll have no problem out flying the rest of the chasers at tryouts," Albus said with awe at his cousin's impressive flying skills.

"You really think so? I hope I become the new chaser! There's only one spot though... Wouldn't it be great if I, you, and Scorpius all got on the team? I'd be the chaser, you'd be the keeper, and Scorpius would be the beater," Rose exclaimed excitedly.

Albus was about to respond when something over Rose's shoulder caught his eye. "Hey Rosie? I don't know about you, but those two flying specks look like the school owls!"

"What?!" Rose screeched as she spun around to see for herself. "Oh Merlin! Our exam scores are in! Race you to the front door!" Rose challenged as she leaned forward on her broom.

"You're on!" Albus said as they took off flying.

Both Rose and Albus began hurtling towards the ground at the fastest speed their brooms would go. It was no wonder that Hermione started screaming at them the minute they pulled to a stop.

"ROSE NYMPHADORA WEASLEY AND ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER! NEVER LET ME CATCH YOU PULLING SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Hermione yelled hysterically.

"We wouldn't let you catch us," Al mumbled under his breath.

"Mum! Our exam results are coming!" Rose exclaimed in part because she was still excited, and because she knew it would distract her mom.

As soon as she said that the two barn owls swooped in through the open window in the kitchen. Both owls had official letters attached to their legs: one for Rose Nymphadora Weasley and one for Albus Severus Potter.

"C'mon Albus, hurry up and open yours! I want to know how you did!" Rose said as she tore into her own envelope.

"Slow down there sweetheart! You'll rip your school list," Hermione chided gently. Although, she couldn't really blame Rose. She got her excitement of all things school related from her.

"What's with all the ruckus?" asked a confused Ron Weasley who was followed by a sleepy looking Harry Potter.

"Mione, was that you yelling that I woke up to?" Harry asked with a yawn.

"I only yelled because our children decided it would be a fantastic idea to hurtle towards the ground at break neck speed. They could've gotten hurt!" Ron and Harry both grinned at that statement. It was so like Hermione to fret over anything having to do with brooms.

"Dad, our school lists and exam scores came in!" Albus said. "I think Rose is in shock," Albus said after he glanced over at his cousin.

"Rose sweetheart? How are you feeling? You know that we'll be happy no matter what score you get," Hermione said gently.

"Knowing Rose, she probably passed all of her courses with flying colors. What do you say Rose?" Ron asked proudly.

"Well Dad, I have to say, YOU"RE RIGHT! I passed everything. I got a special note from Headmistress McGonagall saying that I'm first in the class, and that my scores are the highest she's seen since mum was at school!" Rose finished. She was beaming ear to ear and bouncing up and down on her toes.

"Oh Rose, that's so wonderful! Your father and I couldn't be more proud of you. My smart and beautiful little girl!" Hermione cooed as she pulled Rose in for a bone crushing hug

"Mum… Can't. Breathe!" Rose wheezed.

"Congratulations Rose!" Harry said. "How did you do Albus?" Harry couldn't help but notice that Albus had been studying his own grades seriously throughout Rose's announcement.

"Dad, I'm third in the class. THIRD IN THE CLASS! Rose, we're both in the top three!" Albus shouted with glee before pulling Rose close so that they could bounce around the kitchen together.

"Congratulations son! That is truly a remarkable accomplishment. You're better at school then I ever was," Harry told Albus.

Before anyone could say anything else, they were distracted by the sound of people apparating in the back yard.

"That must be Scorpius. He said he'd be back from France today, and that he'd come right over!" Rose said excitedly.

Sure enough, it was Scorpius and Astoria Malfoy who came through the door. This wasn't an unusual sight since Scorpius would often come to Burrow to hang out with Rose, Albus, and the rest of the Weasley and Potter cousins. Astoria would often accompany him and drink tea with the other mothers where they would chat about their husbands, their work, clothes, books, and anything that happened to come up. What was unusual was the fact that Draco Malfoy had come to the Burrow with his wife and son. He was usually working or had some other obligation going on at the time of his wife and son's visits.

"Hello Scorpius, Astoria. It's lovely to see you again. Draco," Harry smiled at the first two and then nodded at Draco.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, children," Draco nodded back.

While the mothers had bonded, the fathers hadn't. They were civil for the sake of their children, but they were far from friends.

"Scorpius mate, how was France? Did you get your exam scores?" Albus asked, deciding to cut straight to the point.

"France was great! And yes, I did. I'm number two in the class!" Scorpius told Rose and Albus proudly.

"That's great! I'm number three in the class, and Rose here is number one! We're one, two, and three!" Albus joked.

"Congratulations Scorpius! Maybe we can all go to Diagon Alley later this week to pick up our school supplies," Rose suggested.

What would have been Scorpius's next comment was cut off by his father's abrupt voice. After a nod from his wife, Draco looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "I really need to talk to you." Once he saw that the children were paying attention to him, he added, "In private. I'm afraid this is highly confidential. So that means no one underage can hear," Draco said looking right at the curious Rose, Albus, and Scorpius.

"But Dad," Scorpius started to protest.

"No buts Scorpius. This is nonnegotiable. You are too young to hear this," Draco said in all seriousness. His tone left no room for argument.

"Kids, why don't you head upstairs and see what the others are doing," Hermione suggested pointedly.

The adults ushered the trio out and put locking spells on all the doors. This left the trio with no choice but to go upstairs as the adults wished.

* * *

"I really wish I knew what the adults are talking about down there. I can't believe my Dad sent me upstairs! He always tells me everything," Scorpius complained to Rose and Albus as they walked up the many flights of stairs towards where they suspected everyone else was holed up.

"Wait," Rose said as she stopped outside of the bedroom that James and Fred II stayed in during the summer months. "There might be a way we can hear what they say. I overheard a conversation between James and Fred last year. From what I gathered, those two have been developing new merchandise for Uncle George. He said that he wants a younger perspective, and naturally James and Fred volunteered their services," Rose explained as she knocked on their bedroom door.

"Yes?" a pair of eyes asked from behind a crack in the door.

"Fred, James, it's us. We require your, ah, services," Rose said.

"Well, if it isn't Rosie, Albie, and Scorpy! What services do you require from us?" James asked as he opened the door a bit wider.

"Well, the adults are downstairs having a serious conversation," Rose began.

"Ah, say no more young Rosie. We have just what you need! Fred, would you like to do the honors?" James asked as Fred disappeared back in the room.

There was a scuffling sound followed by a bang and a string of curses from Fred. It left the trio wondering just what "products" James and Fred had been making for Uncle George.

"Here it is!" Fred exclaimed as he appeared back in the doorway. "You lucky three are the first to witness our newest invention. My Dad hasn't had the pleasure of viewing it yet. We call it, "The Bug," Fred said proudly as he showed the trio a small metal bug.

"You made a small, metal bug?" Albus asked his brother incredulously.

"Just a bug?! You wound me Albie," James said with mock hurt as he placed his hand over his heart. "This isn't just any old bug. It's a spy bug."

James's explanation was met with blank faces, which caused him to look over at Fred and sigh. "Must we explain everything Fred?"

"Apparently," Fred answered grimly. "Ok, when we say spy bug, we mean that the bug has the ability to spy on people without them noticing. Everyone who sees it from a distance will think it's just a regular bug. It has full video and audio capabilities built in!" Fred explained.

"Where did you guys get the idea for a spy bug?" Scorpius asked curiously.

"I'm glad you asked," James said. "Rose, Albus, you know how Granddad Weasley has been obsessed with those old muggle films?" James asked as he looked at his brother and cousin for signs that they knew what he was talking about.

"Yes, you mean the James Bond ones?" Albus asked amused.

"Yes!" Fred exclaimed. "We got the idea from all the spy gear they had in the movies. What makes it different from the muggle bugs is that it has the ability to camouflage itself whenever it feels it's being threatened."

"It also acts like a Confundus Charm," James added. "Whenever someone comes near it, they suddenly remember that they have to do something else. It's bloody brilliant!" James exclaimed excitedly.

"How do you work it?" Rose asked as she examined the bug.

"You simply tell it what you want it to do!" Fred said.

"So all we need to do is tell the bug that we want it to spy on our parent's conversation?" Albus asked skeptically.

"Yup!" Fred and James said in unison. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have to get back to work! We have some big pranks to plan," James said with a wink before closing the door in the trio's faces.

* * *

"Do you really think this'll work?" Scorpius asked as he stared down at the bug.

"There's really only one way to find out. Bug, go and spy on our parents!" Albus commanded.

Upon hearing the command, the bug took off scurrying across the floor and down the stairs. The trio could see everything that the bug saw as if they were looking through the bug's eyes.

"I don't know whether I find this cool or creepy," Albus joked.

Rose just rolled her eyes.

All of a sudden, they trio heard voices. They were muffled at first, but then they became clearer as the bug traveled closer to the source. The next thing they knew, they were staring out at the room from the top of Uncle Harry's head.

"What do you mean the Brotherhood is back?" Harry asked Draco in confusion. "Do you know something about the Brotherhood? The Auror Office has been looking into Monroe's untimely death, and we have been investigating this so-called Brotherhood. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find anything conclusive on either accounts."

"That's because you haven't been looking in the right places," Draco replied.

"Oh, and you have?" Ron retorted skeptically.

"Actually Weasley, I have. Believe it or not, I may have found out something before the dynamic duo did," Draco sneered.

"So what did you find out?" Hermione asked before Ron could come up with a suitable retort. She wanted to learn as much as she could about the Brotherhood. "Why don't you start at the beginning?"

"The Brotherhood is an ancient wizarding organization. They are believed to have originated during Merlin's time, but whether this is true is unknown due to the secrecy surrounding the group. What is known is that the Brotherhood always seems to appear during times of crisis and strife. Their main goal is to provide justice where they think justice is due," Draco recited, almost as if he were reading from a textbook.

"I've never come across anything having to do with the Brotherhood in all of the books I've ever read!" Hermione exclaimed. It was truly puzzling considering the impressive amount of books she had managed to read. "Where did you find this information?" Hermione asked.

"In the Malfoy diaries," Draco replied. "That's why you've never come across them in books. My family is… private."

"Wait, the Malfoy's have diaries?" Ron asked with a chuckle.

"Ron, focus," Harry said. "And what did the diaries say about the Brotherhood?"

"Well, my family is one of the most ancient Pureblood families in history, and we have a certain set of views and traditions that have been passed down for centuries," at this point Draco trailed off uncertainly.

"What traditions?" Hermione asked genuinely interested.

"Isn't it obvious? He's talking about Pureblood superiority and the Dark Arts!" Ron said with distaste.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Don't bother Granger. Weasley's right. My family has passed down centuries of prejudice and knowledge of the darkest of arts," Draco said in a tone of self-loathing. "It's no wonder my family sided with Voldemort."

"Yes, but your son doesn't seem to have any prejudices, or any interest in the Dark Arts," Hermione replied kindly.

"That's because I didn't want him to turn out like I did," Draco said. "Anyways, my family would write about the Brotherhood because they were always fighting against them. When the Malfoys supported all of the muggle wars, the Brotherhood tried to stop them."

"So, the Brotherhood are the good guys," Ron said.

"Ron, how can you call the Brotherhood good? They sent an agent who wasn't more than a kid himself out to hurt an innocent boy! That doesn't scream out good for me," Hermione said.

"The Brotherhood operates based on what they think justice is, and justice to them is very subjective. They aren't above using violence, intimidation, or bribery to get what they want. I'm guessing that the Brotherhood saw the whole war as unjust, not just the ideas of Pureblood superiority. They want to punish those that they believe had a major part in starting the war, and unfortunately, my family and I did have a large part in the war," Draco said sadly.

"And how does this affect us?" Ron asked confused.

"I believe that the Brotherhood wouldn't stop until they've destroyed the source. And by source I mean those whose ideas lead to the rise of Voldemort," Draco explained.

"But that's thousands of people! Even if they weren't part of the war, there are still those who believe that Purebloods have a higher standing than Muggle-Borns and Half-Bloods!" Harry exclaimed worriedly.

"I know, that's what I wanted to tell you. I think that many people, aside from my family, are going to be in danger. You're probably in danger as well. I wouldn't put it past the Brotherhood to start a war of attrition," Draco said bitterly.

"Why would we be in danger?" Hermione asked concerned.

"Well, for one, your children are best friends with my son. Second, you were all seen at the trial. The Brotherhood probably thinks you're all traitors for befriending and helping out my family," Draco said ruefully.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU MALFOYS WEREN'T ANY GOOD! THAT'S IT, MY DAUGHTER AND FAMILY WILL HAVE NOTHING MORE TO DO WITH YOURS. NOW GET OUT OF MY FAMILY'S HOUSE!" a scared and angry Ron Weasley screamed at a startled Draco and Astoria.

Suddenly another figure appeared on the scene. Rose Weasley stood in front of her father, teary eyed and out of breath. Albus and Scorpius looked around startled. They hadn't even noticed Rose had left.

"Rosie! What are you doing here? I thought your mum told you to go upstairs, and we locked the doors," Ron stated, genuinely puzzled at his daughter's sudden arrival.

"I'm here because I heard everything you just said. How can you kick Scorpius and his family out? You're the one who should leave if you're going to act all prejudicial. You're acting worse than you've always told me Mr. Malfoy sounded in all of the stories that you told me from when you were a kid! Grow UP Dad," Rose said in tears as her emotions got the best of her.

A stunned Ron Weasley turned to his wife for help, but recoiled when he saw the glare Hermione was giving him. That's when he knew that he had messed up big time.

"Rose, no one is leaving," Hermione said while trying to calm her daughter down. "Your father is just scared and upset. Sometimes people say things they don't mean to when they're feeling insecure. Your father will apologize to the Malfoys, and he will be sleeping on the couch for two weeks as punishment," Hermione said in a tone that would hold no arguments as she glared at her husband's rudeness and lack of tact.

"Ermm, right," Ron said ashamedly. "I'm sorry, Draco, Astoria. What I was, was out of line. I apologize," Ron said sincerely to the Malfoys. "And, Rosie, I'm so sorry. The last thing I ever wanted to do was make you cry," Ron said as he stooped down to Rose's level.

"It's fine Dad. I'm sorry too. Just don't do that again. Scorpius is my best friend," Rose said from her mother's arms.

"Rose, what did you mean when you said that you heard everything we said?" Harry asked. He was looking at Rose through contemplative eyes.

"Well, uh, you see," Rose stammered.

"It's not just Rose who heard. We heard it too," Scorpius said as he walked into the room closely followed by Albus.

Rose glanced at her saviors gratefully.

"Actually, I'm curious to know how you heard everything too, and why you disobeyed a direct order," Draco said while looking his son in the eye.

Scorpius lowered his head in shame. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint his Dad, especially after everything he'd done for him.

"Albus?" Harry asked looking towards his son for answers.

"It was the spy bug that James and Fred invented!" Albus said. He didn't do well under pressure, especially when it came from his Dad.

"I see," Harry said. "James, Fred, come down here please!" Harry yelled up the stairs.

Everyone could hear the thumps and stomps as James and Fred ran down the stairs. No one ignored Harry Potter, especially when he used his Auror voice.

"You called Dad?" James asked as they entered the room.

"Yes, I did. What's this I've heard about a spy bug?" Harry asked putting emphasis on the last two words.

"You told?!" James accused as he turned to glare at Albus who was attempting to hide behind Scorpius.

"It doesn't matter who told James. I just want to know where this bug is and what it does. Oh, and why you and Fred invented it," Harry said.

"Oh, well, as for where it is, it's on top of your head!" Fred said as he pointed to the top of Harry's head to where the camouflaged bug was located.

Harry reached up and pulled the bug out of his hair. It immediately changed color to match his skin.

"And what does the bug do besides change colors?" Harry asked.

"It allows you to spy on people. It doesn't matter if you put locking and silencing charms around the room. The bug isn't a person, so the spells don't affect it. The bug basically allows the owner to see and hear everything that's going on in whatever room the bug is in," James explained.

"And why did you invent the bug?" Harry questioned while examining the bug closely.

"It's for my Dad's shop. He wants something new and improved that he can sell. We thought about improving the Extendable Ears, but then we saw the James Bond movies Granddad always watches, and well, you can guess the rest," Fred rambled on.

"And why did you give it to these three?" Harry asked.

"They wanted to hear what you guys were saying after you kicked them out! And, we needed to test the product, which we're happy to report, works. Uncle George will love it!" James said gleefully.

"Yes, well, no more giving anything away without permission," Harry told his son and nephew.

"So, we're not in trouble?" James asked slowly.

"No, you're not in trouble. This is after all extraordinary magic for fourth years… If George doesn't invest in these, then the Auror department will. These could really come in handy," Harry said.

James and Fred left as soon as they learned that they would be receiving no punishment. This left, Rose, Albus, and Scorpius with all of the adults.

"Will we be getting punished Dad?" Albus asked uncertainly.

"No, you wouldn't be getting punished either," Harry said with a sigh as he ran his hand over his face. "But I will be taking your bug away. And, you must all promise me that you will not tell anyone what you overheard. This is of the utmost importance," Harry said as he looked each member of the trio in the eyes.

"We promise," they all said.

"Good, now go outside and enjoy the rest of your day. The only thing you should be worried about is school starting in a few days!" Harry called after the retreating children.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

The sun was setting behind Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the last rays could been seen sliding over the tables in the library. Sitting at the back in the far corner were three children, all with different appearances. One boy had jet black hair and vivid green eyes, which contrasted sharply with the other boy's pale blond hair and icy blue eyes. The third child was a girl with long, flaming red-auburn voluminous wavy hair, and striking eyes the color of the ocean. All three could barely be seen behind the towers of books on their table.

"ARGHHH, this is hopeless! We've been researching this since three months ago at the start of term," an aggravated Albus Potter said to his cousin Rose and best friend Scorpius.

"Albus, be quiet! Or else Madam Pince will," Rose was interrupted by a loud "shhhh!" from the school librarian, Madam Pince.

"Albus is right Rose. It's been three months. We still haven't found anything new about the you-know-what," Scorpius whispered to a disgruntled Rose.

"We need to keep trying! There has to be something. This library is huge," Rose said. She couldn't believe that they hadn't found any single mention of the wizarding organization known as The Brotherhood. If they had been around since Merlin, then there should be some hints as to their doings somewhere!

"Yes, well, our private library is bigger," Scorpius said distractedly.

"That's it! Scorpius you're a genius!" Rose exclaimed suddenly.

Scorpius had to smile at that. If anyone was the genius of the group, it was Rose. "Thanks, but why am I a genius?" a smiling Scorpius asked.

"Because you said that the library at Malfoy Manor is bigger than the library at Hogwarts!" Rose exclaimed as if it were obvious.

"So," Scorpius began said as he exchanged a glance with Albus.

"So, this means that we should be looking in Malfoy Manor! We're so stupid! Your father told my mother that she had been looking in the wrong place at the Burrow. Ugh. We've been looking in the wrong place too. Besides, your Dad found the diaries in the manor library!" Rose exclaimed. She was starting to beat herself up mentally for not realizing that they were wasting their time earlier.

"Actually, my Dad found those diaries in the vault in his study," Scorpius said.

"So this means that the library is open for grabs!" Rose said excited once more.

"Rose, you're talking about Scorpius's family library. I'm sure his father, mother, and your mother have already combed through it by now, not to mention both our fathers," Albus said pointedly.

"It doesn't matter! We're young, they're old. They might have missed something! It's our duty to double check," Rose said dismissively.

"I don't know Rose," Albus started.

"Oh come on Albus! Where's your sense of adventure?" Rose teased her cousin.

"Rose, you're forgetting something," Albus pointed out.

"What am I forgetting Albus?" Rose asked puzzled. She thought she had thought of everything.

"You need Scorpius to agree to let you into his house so you can go and raid his library," Albus said triumphantly.

Rose turned to look at Scorpius who was glaring at Albus for bringing that point up. Scorpius turned back to Rose to be met with the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He couldn't help but be drawn into them. And before he knew it, he had agreed to let Albus and Rose come to the manor for the Christmas holidays, which were only a couple weeks away.

"Ha, I guess I should've warned you about Rose's puppy dog face. I swear it would melt even the coldest soul," Albus said as he slapped Scorpius on the back.

"Yes, you really should have," Scorpius replied distractedly. He was too busy looking at a triumphant Rose.

* * *

"Wow! This place is huge!" Albus said in awe as soon as they walked into the Malfoy family library. "I can't believe this is your family's private collection!"

Scorpius chuckled at the awestruck look on his best friend's face. "Our library is so big because every Malfoy is a secret bookworm at heart. My father loves to read," Scorpius said.

"Yes, I do love to read," Draco Malfoy said from behind the trio. All three of them jumped because they had believed that they were the only ones on that side of the manor.

"Dad, what're you doing here?" Scorpius attempted in what he hoped was an innocent enough voice.

"I'm here to choose a book to take to bed," Draco replied with a raised eyebrow. "I think the question is what are you guys are doing out of bed this late at night," Draco challenged.

"We were just looking to see if your library really was bigger than the one at Hogwarts. Scorpius told us it was, but Albus and I didn't believe him," Rose answered hurriedly when it was apparent that Scorpius wasn't going to reply to his father's question.

"Oh, well, it is larger than the one at Hogwarts. By around 2,000 books, I do believe," Draco said glancing around at all the books. "You should all head to bed, the library will be here in the morning."

And with that, Draco turned to walk away.

"I thought you were picking out a book!" Albus called after him.

"I changed my mind," Draco replied. "As I hope you will too. Leave the investigating to the adults."

"Do you think he knows?" Albus whispered as Draco disappeared around a corner.

"I think he knows," Rose and Scorpius said in unison.

* * *

"So now what do we do?" Albus asked as soon as they were back in Scorpius's room. "If he knows, he's bound to be keeping a close eye on us."

"What we need is a plan," Rose said. She loved making plans. "Scorpius, what are your mother and father's daily schedules?"

"Well, mother usually does charity work during the day, and father works in his office or goes abroad to keep the company going… But I think that they're both home this week since it's the holidays. They'll be around the manor all week," Scorpius replied.

"Ok, so we'll need to create a diversion," Rose said. "And I know who can help us."

"What's the plan?" Albus asked.

"You'll see come morning," Rose said mischievously before walking across the hallway to her room.

"Girls," Albus said to a nodding Scorpius.

* * *

"Scorpius! Wake up!" Rose said from next to Scorpius's bed.

"Grmmm. Go away!" Scorpius mumbled as he turned away from the noise.

Rose Weasley was an early riser. It was apparent that Scorpius Malfoy was not when he didn't need to be. Rose stood beside Scorpius's bed thinking of how to wake him up. The solution she came up with was to jump on top of a sleeping Scorpius.

"AHHHHHH!" Scorpius yelled as he tried to buck whoever had landed on top of him off. He calmed down and stopped yelling as soon as he heard the familiar giggle from the floor beside his bed.

"Rose, it's seven in the morning! It's the holidays! Why did you wake me up?" an adorably disheveled Scorpius demanded from the giggling Rose.

Before Rose could answer, Albus came into the room rubbing his eyes. "Whas goin on?" Albus asked with a yawn.

"I'll tell you what's going on. You're crazy cousin just jumped on me while I was asleep!" Scorpius told the still sleepy Albus. Unfortunately Scorpius was now wide awake.

Albus just shrugged his shoulders. He was used to Rose Weasley's method of waking people up. He was just glad it didn't happen to him this morning.

"So what's our plan?" Albus asked an annoyed Scorpius.

"I don't know. Ask her," Scorpius replied pointing Rose who was rolling around the floor laughing her arse off.

"I'm sorry, but did you see your face?!" Rose asked as she tried to collect herself.

Albus and Scorpius exchanged a look that clearly meant that girls were crazy.

"The, the plan is," Rose had to stop to take a few deep breaths. "The plan is that we have no plan."

Albus and Scorpius just stared at Rose like she had lost her mind.

"Umm, Rose? I was joking when I said you were crazy earlier, but now I'm just not sure," Scorpius started slowly.

Albus nodded in agreement. "Seriously Rose, our plan is that we have no plan? I'm sure that will turn out brilliantly," Albus said sarcastically.

"It will work! Just be ready to come down to breakfast in five!" Rose said very offended by their lack of trust in her ability to create a foolproof plan.

Once Rose had left, Scorpius turned to Albus with a questioning look.

"Don't question it. She's stubborn. She gets it from both her mum and dad," Albus said before he went to go change, leaving an amused and confused Scorpius alone. If Scorpius knew anything in that moment, it would be that Rose Weasley sure was something.

* * *

When Scorpius arrived in the kitchen for breakfast, he was greeted by the sight of Rose Weasley having a serious conversation with both of his parents. Albus had yet to arrive.

"Ah, Scorpius, so glad you could join us. Rose, your mother, and I were just talking about last night." At Scorpius' confused look, Draco elaborated, "I know that you weren't just heading to the library to compare its size Scorpius. Rose just confirmed to your mother and I that you were planning on researching the Brotherhood."

"Err, she did?" Scorpius asked nervously. He glanced at Rose who was telling him to play along with her eyes.

"Yes she did. I thought I had told you that you should leave this to us. You should be focusing on school, not on something that doesn't concern you," Draco told Scorpius as he sat down to eat.

Conversation was halted momentarily as an out of breath Albus Potter ran into the kitchen. "Sorry… I got lost!" Albus managed to pant out.

"It's fine darling. We just started breakfast a few moments ago. You didn't miss much," Astoria said kindly.

"But Mr. Malfoy, this does concern us. We heard what you said to our parents. You said that they would be in danger because they helped you out. We want to know about the Brotherhood so that we can be prepared," Rose said in what Albus and Scorpius called her, 'you can't resist my charm voice.'

Rose's charm had obviously worked on Mr. Malfoy as he put his fork down and sighed before asking, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything!" Rose answered enthusiastically.

"The Brotherhood is currently underground planning. The only reason we found out about them is because Monroe was put under Veritaserum during the trial. They're being extra careful to stay elusive now. We really don't know anything new," Draco said apologetically.

"Oh," Rose said visibly disappointed. She was hoping that she could sweet talk Mr. Malfoy into letting something slip, but it seemed that there really wasn't anything new to tell.

Upon seeing Rose's disappointed look, Draco looked up towards the ceiling. "If you were to happen across something in the library that would be entirely your business. I will not ban you from the library since I'm sure you'll want to study and do your work," Draco said offhandedly.

Scorpius couldn't believe it. Rose had gotten his father to inadvertently let them look up information on the Brotherhood in the library! Rose Weasley truly was amazing.

* * *

Rose, Albus, and Scorpius were in Potions two months after the holidays brewing a simple cure for the common cold. Well, that's what they were supposed to be doing anyways. Instead of paying attention to their brewing potion, the trio were talking about all they had learned over break about the Brotherhood. Unfortunately, it wasn't as much as they had hoped.

"It just doesn't make sense!" Rose complained as she furiously stirred their potion. "How can an organization that causes so much chaos be present for a decade and then suddenly disappear?!"

Rose was talking about the story they had read about that dated back to the 1600s in America. Most muggles knew about the Salem Witch Trials, but what they didn't know was that the witch hysteria that killed so many innocent muggles was started by actual witches. Those witches were a part of the Brotherhood, and they were angry at the muggles for persecuting witches for so many years. So, they decided to create their own form of justice by making the American muggles turn against each other through what they feared the most. But, the witches in the Brotherhood disappeared almost as soon as they had appeared. And in ten years, the major crisis had passed. That was one of the only solid evidence of the Brotherhood's doings. Everything else was rumor and hearsay.

"Umm, Rose? I think you've stirred the potion enough," Albus said as he glanced into their cauldron. The potion which was supposed to be a pleasant pink color was instead an acrid yellow.

"Oh, no!" Rose exclaimed looking at the potion in alarm.

Rose's exclamation alerted the elderly Professor Slughorn. As he approached the trio's cauldron, a look of surprise crossed his face. Rose, Albus, and Scorpius were the top students in their year. It was unheard of for them to make a mistake, much less on such a simple draught.

"What happened here?" Slughorn asked genuinely concerned.

"I'm sorry sir. I got distracted and stirred too many times!" Rose said. She was close to tears. She never messed up this badly in class!

"That's more than fine, my dear. If it is simply a case of one too many stirs, the potion should be easy enough to fix. Do you know how to fix it?" Slughorn asked.

Rose was stumped. She knew she should know this! As Rose was mentally flipping through all the books in her head, Scorpius answered Slughorn's question.

"The potion calls for seven stirs clockwise, and Rose did about five extra stirs. So wouldn't the solution be to stir counterclockwise for five stirs?" Scorpius asked.

"That's correct my boy! Five points to Ravenclaw!" Slughorn said before going to check on another group.

Rose looked at Scorpius amazed. "How did you know that? I didn't even know that?" Rose exclaimed.

"Don't worry, it wasn't in a book," Scorpius said because he knew Rose was worried that she had missed something. "It's logic."

"Impressive Scorpius," Albus said as he let out a low impressed whistle.

Rose could only nod in agreement.

"What?" Scorpius asked when he realized that Rose was still looking at him.

"Nothing!" Rose said quickly. She let her hair fall into her face as she tried to hide her blush. Scorpius just shrugged, and went to fix the potion. Albus looked between his cousin and best friend, and wondered if there was something he was missing.

* * *

"Thank Merlin it's summer!" Albus exclaimed as he plopped down in the train compartment that Rose and Scorpius had found. "Was it just me, or were exams harder this year than they were last year?"

"Well, we just finished our second year Albus. Naturally the exams would be harder this year than they were during first year," Rose told her cousin dramatically.

Albus's retort was cut off when Mei Corner opened their carriage door. "Mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full," Mei asked, determinedly not looking in Albus's direction.

"Sure, you can sit next to me!" Albus said, oblivious to Mei's blush.

Scorpius and Rose glanced at each other. Rose had talked to Mei this year about her cousin Albus. Mei had quietly told Rose about how she had had a crush on Albus since the first time she saw him during the feast during their first year. When Rose asked why she hadn't told her, Mei had said that she didn't want to ruin their friendship by liking Rose's cousin. Rose then assured her that their friendship wouldn't be ruined, and that she thought Mei was a good match for Albus. The two friends had then laughed and embraced happily before going on to discuss the book they were currently reading.

"Scorpius, did your parents answer you about being able to stay at the Burrow this summer?" Albus asked Scorpius.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that my family and I will be going to France for the whole summer. We're staying with my Aunt Daphne and Uncle Blaise. I wouldn't be back until September 1st!" Scorpius said apologetically when he saw Rose and Albus's disappointed looks.

"You mean we wouldn't be able to see you at all this summer?" Rose asked sadly.

"Yes, and I'm sorry that I forgot to tell you. It just slipped my mind because of exams. I'll write every week though, and we'll be able to sit on together on the train ride back to school," Scorpius said reassuringly.

"Oh, that sounds great," Rose said uncharacteristically quiet. Scorpius either didn't notice, or didn't let on that he had noticed, since he was busy playing a game of exploding snap with Albus.

Upon seeing Mei reading a novel, Rose turned to look out the window. As she saw the countryside passing by, she tried to assure herself that the disappointment and hurt that she felt were only because Scorpius wasn't going to be around her and Albus, and not because she may have been feeling feelings other than friendship towards him.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose Weasley was bouncing on the train seat across from her cousin, Albus Potter. Albus could tell that she was really excited. Heck, he was excited too. This was the first time they'd see their shared best friend, Scorpius Malfoy, since the end of the school year last year. He'd been in France all summer, and Rose and Albus had missed him terribly. Nothing was the same without Scorpius.

Suddenly, the compartment opened and Scorpius entered. Rose couldn't help but notice that Scorpius had grown taller. He and Albus were now a full head taller than she was! It was so unfair. Hugo had got all of the height in the family. Rose took after her mother in height. While she had grown a few inches over the summer, it just didn't compare to Albus and Scorpius's massive growth spurt.

"Why do you have your pouty face on Rose?" Scorpius asked. "This wasn't the reaction I was expecting after not seeing you for a month," Scorpius joked.

"I'm not pouting," Rose said with a pout.

Scorpius cocked his eyebrow at Albus. Rose couldn't help but notice that Scorpius was really good looking. She had always thought he was cute, but wow. This summer had certainly been nice to him. His features were coming in quite nicely. Girls would start flocking to him, and—Rose mentally growled at that thought.

"Rosie is just upset that we got tall while she stayed short," Albus explained.

Scorpius started laughing. Then Albus started laughing. Soon the boys were rolling around the compartment floor holding each other up as they continuously laughed at Rose's height.

Rose was not amused. But she was saved from her embarrassment of being so easy to read by the arrival of Mei. Mei had grown over the summer too. She, Rose, and Albus had hung out a lot this summer, and had become good friends. Mei was now an official part of the crew.

Upon seeing Mei, Albus immediately stopped laughing. Albus nudged Scorpius to get him to stop laughing so they could let Mei into the compartment.

"Hi Mei," Scorpius said. "How was your summer?"

"Mine was lovely. I hung out with Rose and Albus a lot. It was obvious though that they missed you," Mei said when Scorpius's face became a bit shuttered. She didn't want Scorpius to think Rose and Albus were replacing him with her. "How was your summer?"

"My summer was good! I hung out with my cousins, and this girl Katia… She was really something. She was nice, and a good kisser," Scorpius said with a smile as he remembered his time in France.

Scorpius came to when he realized everyone was staring at him. Mei looked surprised, Albus looked shocked, and Rose looked angry. He could understand the first two reactions, since he hadn't told anyone about Katia in his letters, but what he didn't understand was Rose's anger. If anything, he thought she'd be happy for him getting his first kiss. They were best friends after all.

"What?" Scorpius asked.

"Nothing!" Albus said quickly while he and Mei glanced at Rose. Rose was looking at the scenery through the window.

Now Scorpius was confused. He felt as though he were missing out on something big. In an attempt to get out of the awkward silence he'd gotten himself into, Scorpius asked the first thing that popped into his mind. "So, do you guys know what subjects you're going to choose?"

Rose, Scorpius, Albus, and Mei were starting their third year at Hogwarts. This year they would be able to choose three extra classes of their choice to take.

"I'm going to take Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes," Mei said.

"I'll be taking Care of Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies, and Divination," Albus said.

This seemed to snap Rose out of her musings, much to Scorpius's relief.

"Why on earth are you taking Divination Albus?!" Rose asked incredulously. She had heard of Divination from her mother, and it sounded like absolute baloney in her opinion.

"Dad and Uncle Ron said it would be an easy grade. All you have to do is make stuff up," Albus said shrugging.

Rose just rolled her eyes.

"What're you taking Rose?" Scorpius asked.

"The same as Mei," Rose said without looking at him.

This bothered Scorpius. He and Rose were best friends, and now she wouldn't even look at him. He didn't know what he had done to make her mad.

When it became apparent that Rose wasn't in the mood to hold a conversation, Scorpius, Albus, and Mei all talked while Rose kept her silence until the train reached Hogwarts.

* * *

It was the start of the sorting ceremony, and Rose was watching anxiously. This would be the year that her brother Hugo, and her younger cousin Lily, would be sorted. They were the youngest of the Potter-Weasley bunch. After them, everyone would either be in Hogwarts, or already out of it.

Rose and Albus watched as a nervous Lily Luna Potter was called to the stool. The hat yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!" as soon as it touched her head. Lily made her way over to the Gryffindor table with a look of immense relief on her face. James was there to welcome his sister to the table with open arms.

Now it was Hugo's turn to be sorted. Rose secretly hoped that Hugo would be in Ravenclaw with her, but apparently the sorting hat had other plans. Hugo too was sorted into Gryffindor to be with the rest of the Weasley-Potter clan.

After the feast, the four friends walked up to their dormitories. All Rose could think about was her beautiful blue and bronze four poster bed.

"Rose, can I talk to you for a minute?" Albus asked before Rose could make her escape.

"Can't it wait until morning?" Rose asked wearily.

"No, it can't," Albus said as he glanced at a visibly upset Scorpius who was making his way to their dorm. "It's about Scorpius and why you've been ignoring him the whole day. This isn't like you Rose. Scorpius is feeling hurt, and he doesn't know what he's done wrong."

Rose sighed. "I didn't want to hurt him Albus I guess I was just a bit upset when he said that he had been hanging out with this girl Katia, and that they had kissed. We're only 13, and he's already had his first kiss. I just don't see why he wouldn't have told us!" Rose said. It was obvious that she was very upset about this new development with her friend.

"Some things are meant to be private. Scorpius did tell us, when he was ready to," Albus said consolingly. "Besides, I don't think that Scorpius not telling us about Katia is what's really bothering you," Albus said while looking Rose in the eye.

Sometimes she hated how close she and Albus were. Albus could always tell when she wasn't being entirely truthful.

"Are you jealous?" Albus asked.

"I don't know Albus. Lately I've been thinking about Scorpius a lot," Rose trailed off lost in thought.

"Do you like Scorpius?" Albus asked. He wasn't as surprised as he thought he'd be. The three of them were best friends, and they hung out all the time. And, even Albus had noticed that Scorpius was getting taller and more handsome as the years went by. If he noticed, then Rose definitely had noticed.

Rose blushed. "I don't know. Maybe. I've never had a crush on anyone before, so I'm not sure if what I'm feeling for Scorpius is anything like that!" Rose exclaimed.

"Well, whatever you're feeling shouldn't make you want to ignore Scorpius. It's not fair to either of you. You're best friends. You should continue to be there for each other, and let whatever feelings there may be happen naturally," Albus said. "I expect you to be nice and talk to Scorpius tomorrow," Albus added before heading up to the boy's dorms.

As Rose got ready for bed that night, she couldn't help but think that Albus really did belong in Ravenclaw. He could be very insightful when he chose to be.

* * *

"Alright! Welcome to the tryouts for the Ravenclaw team," The new Quidditch captain, Josh Michelson told the hopeful new recruits. "We have three new openings this year. One for chaser, one for keeper, and one for a beater. Can I have the chasers up first please? We'll start with doing laps around the pitch, then we'll do some exercises to see how you are with the quaffle. Those who pass to the next round will play a mock game," Michelson instructed.

Scorpius and Albus watched as Rose took to the sky on her Lightning Bolt. The trio were excited that they finally would have a chance at making their house's Quidditch team. They had wanted to try out last year when they had thought there would be openings, but it turned out there was only a spot for the seeker, and none of them played that position. But this year, there actually were more spots open, and they were determined to try out.

"Rose is really good!" Scorpius said to Albus as he watched Rose outfly all of her competition. He was really happy that Rose was talking to him again, even if he didn't understand why she had stopped in the first place.

"We practiced all last summer," Albus said as Rose was one of two cleared to go to the next round.

"Alright! I need my hopeful keepers!" Michelson yelled.

Albus flew up to the hoops. He saved every single shot that Michelson shot at him, even the last trick shot. Albus couldn't help but be pleased as he was cleared to go to the next round.

Then, it was the beaters' turn to try out. Rose and Albus watched as Scorpius hit bludger after bludger at the chasers, each one making its intended target. It was no surprise that Scorpius was cleared for the next round as well.

Rose, Albus, and Scorpius were placed in a group for their mock game. They would be playing with the team members from last year. All of them were confident in their own abilities and with each other. They had been playing together for the past two years, after all.

After the half-day of tryouts, Michelson called all of the hopefuls to the side of the Quidditch pitch. "You all did very well today, and you should all be proud. Ravenclaw has some pretty remarkable Quidditch players," Michelson said looking around at everyone. "But, there really was no doubt in my mind that Rose Weasley, Albus Potter, and Scorpius Malfoy are the ones who will be on the Quidditch team this year. Better luck next year!" Michelson said to everyone else.

Rose, Albus, and Scorpius followed Michelson to the team locker room where they were congratulated by the rest of the team. The trio met their team's seeker, Anna Porter, the other beater, Simon Alexander, and the last chaser, Andrew Thomas. Once introductions were done, Michelson led the trio to the back where they received their Quidditch jerseys and robes.

As the trio left the locker room, they couldn't help but grin at each other. They couldn't wait to write home to their families.

* * *

The last Quidditch game of the season was Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw. Or the Potter-Weasley Quidditch team vs. the Ravenclaws. Ironically, the whole Gryffindor team consisted entirely of Weasleys and Potters. Louis was the team Capitan and chaser. James and Fred were the beaters. Molly was the keeper, and Roxanne was the seeker. Although only first years, Lily and Hugo had been pulled up from the reserves when the two other chasers on the team came down with a bad case of Dragon Pox. It was going to be the game that everyone remembered.

"Gryffindor and Ravenclaw are tied with 180 points each!" Elise Jordan commented from the box. "I have never seen a more equally matched team play against each other before. I hate to say this, but winning will come down to who catches the snitch first! Oh, and I think they've both spotted it!"

Sure enough, Roxanne and Anna were both racing towards the snitch. Roxanne was slightly ahead of Anna, but Anna was slowly catching up.

"Ouch, that has got to hurt!" Jordan said as she referred to the bludger that had just hit Roxanne in the head. "RAVENCLAW WINS! I give you our newest school champions!"

The Ravenclaw stands exploded in excitement and glee while the Gryffindors all groaned. This was the first time that Gryffindor had lost the Quidditch cup since Teddy Lupin had first come to Hogwarts.

The whole team flew at Scorpius and descended as one to the bottom of the pitch. Rose flung herself at Scorpius and gave him a big congratulations hug. As they locked eyes, Rose noticed that her heart was beating loudly and quickly. It was then that Rose Weasley realized that she had a crush on her best friend.

* * *

"It's summerrrrrrr!" Albus screamed as he made his way off the Hogwarts express to the amusement of everyone present. Albus Potter was a boy who loved summer.

"Mum, Dad can Scorp stay with us this summer?" Albus asked.

"If it's alright with his parents," Ginny replied.

"My father said it was alright. My mum and him are going on a couple's cruise, and then to France, so they gave me the green light," Scorpius said.

"WHOOO!" Albus yelled as he fist pumped the air.

"This means that we'll actually be able to see you this summer!" Rose exclaimed excitedly. "Although, wouldn't Katia miss you?" Rose added rather darkly.

Scorpius cocked an eyebrow at that question. Katia and he had a fling last summer, but they didn't intend to see each other ever again as she was an American witch who was just in France for that one summer. Scorpius didn't know where Rose had got the notion that he and Katia had a real thing for each other.

"No, considering Katia's from America, and was only in France for that one summer," Scorpius responded rather amused at his friend's insinuation.

"Oh," Rose said intelligently as she blushed the famous Weasley blush.

Scorpius had to laugh at that. Girls. They were so bloody confusing! If there was one thing he did know, it would be that this would be a fun summer.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Diagon Alley was always busy. After the war, everyone came together to help repair, refurbish, and reimburse those whose shops had closed or been destroyed. New shops had been added, and Diagon Alley was more popular than ever.

"Ok, I think that's everything," an exhausted Rose said to an equally exhausted Al and Scorpius.

The trio had just finished purchasing all of the school supplies that they'd need for their upcoming fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"I'm parched," Al said. "Let's go and get some ice cream."

As the trio sat eating their cones, they were approached by a group of giggling girls. The girls kept on giggling and nudging each other and whispering behind their hands. Rose, Al, and Scorp all exchanged confused glances with each other.

Finally, one girl decided to introduce herself. Rose couldn't help but notice that she was wearing a lot of makeup, and that she was eyeing Scorpius in a way that Rose certainly did not like.

"Hi! My name is Melissa, and these are my friends Jessica and Stacie," Melissa said pointing to the girls behind her.

"Hi. I'm Al. That's my cousin Rose, and our best friend Scorp," Al said.

"I've heard all about you two! You guys are on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Quite the young stars, if you ask me," Melissa said while winking at a blushing Scorpius.

Rose did not like this one bit. One minute the three of them were by themselves having a wonderful time, and the next minute Al and Scorp were going out of their way to impress the first girls that walked into the room. As the girls pulled up chairs, Rose couldn't help but feel as if she were being cut out of the conversation.

"I'm going to get another scoop of ice cream," Rose told the group. No one paid her any attention. Rose sighed and then headed towards the ice cream counter.

"Ah, Rosie! Back for another scoop?" an elderly Florean asked Rose. Florean was captured by Death Eaters and tortured for any information he had on Harry Potter and his friends. Instead of breaking down, Florean kept silent through two years of torture before being freed by the Order. When asked what he'd like to do after a celebration in his honor, Florean had simply replied that he'd like to go back to serving the people at Diagon Alley their ice cream. He got his wish, and Florean's ice cream parlor was the busiest joint in all of Diagon Alley.

"My friends ditched me for some girls. As soon as they came over they started ignoring me. It's like I didn't matter anymore," Rose said sadly as she watched her cousin and her crush flirt shamelessly with Melissa and her friends.

"Ah, I see," Florean said knowingly as he looked back at Rose. "Your friends are going through a stage where girls are suddenly interesting and unattainable. But, they'll come around."

"But I'm a girl too!" Rose exclaimed. "Why doesn't he look at me like he looks at them?!"

"I presume you're talking about the young blond chap, and not your cousin Albus," Florean said. "My guess is that he sees you as his best friend. Maybe even a sister."

That didn't make Rose feel any better. "Well how do I change how he sees me?" Rose asked almost desperately. "I know I'm not the prettiest girl… Maybe I need to stop wearing sweatpants all the time when I'm not in uniform," Rose added.

"If you decide to change yourself, it should be because it's something you want to do, not because some boy thinks you should. If he's worth it, he'll like you no matter what you wear," Florean told Rose seriously. "Why do you wear sweatpants anyways? Don't take this the wrong way, but you're very beautiful. You have a nice figure. It always seems like you're trying to hide it."

"It's a long story," Rose said tiredly.

"I have time to listen," Florean said.

"It's just this stupid boy at school. He started calling me ugly in first year. He said my hair was an ugly color and too busy to contain. He also said that my face resembled a pizza with all the acne on it. He also said that my eyes were freaky because they're a weird shade of blue," Rose told Florean.

Florean glanced at Rose concernedly. "You don't believe anything that boy says, do you?" Florean asked Rose.

When Rose lowered her head and didn't respond, Florean plowed on. "Rose, everyone has their awkward phase, and unfortunately, acne is a part of that. But you will grow out of it. I can already see that you're going to be a beautiful woman someday. I hope you know that," Florean told Rose seriously.

"Thanks for listening," Rose said as she smiled weakly before getting up to leave.

As Rose left, Florean couldn't help but stare after her. He knew that she didn't believe what he had said. And that was extremely worrisome.

* * *

Scorpius and Al's newfound popularity only increased as the school months went on. Before Rose knew it, it was time for the team's third Quidditch game of the year. If they won this one, then they'd be headed towards the championship for the second year running.

"Alright team! We've got this!" Michelson said before leading his team out on the pitch.

They were greeted with loud cheers from the Ravenclaw stands, and with boos from the Slytherins.

The game went surprisingly quick. Anna managed to catch the snitch within the first 15 minutes, right under the Slytherin seeker Belby's nose. Needless to say, the Slytherins were not pleased.

Ravenclaw on the other hand was ecstatic. They were going to the house cup for the second year in a row! "Party in the common room!" someone yelled.

And with that, the whole team made their way up to their common room to celebrate their victory.

* * *

Rose, Al, and Scorpius were walking around Ottery St. Catchpole. They were enjoying the bright spring weather and their Easter holidays.

"I can't believe that fourth year is almost over," Scorpius said. "It seems like almost yesterday that we were little first years!"

"I know! It's crazy to think that we'll only have three more years at Hogwarts after this year ends," Al said.

"What do you think Rose?" Scorpius asked.

"Oh, so you actually remember my name?" Rose asked crossly.

Al and Scorp exchanged confused looks.

"Why wouldn't I remember your name? You're my best friend," Scorpius said confused and hurt.

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed considering both of you have been spending most of your time with Melissa and her friends. Never mind Rose. She'll most likely be in the library anyways like the annoying, and pathetic bookworm she is," Rose said close to tears.

"Rose! What's wrong?" Scorpius asked concerned.

"Oh don't pretend like you care! You haven't been paying attention to me all year. So why start now!" and with that Rose took off running down the street. She didn't want to cry in front of them, especially Scorpius.

Before she knew it, Rose was lost. She had never been on this part of the town before because her parents had forbade her. Now Rose could see why. This part of town was seriously run down and neglected. Most of the buildings were broken down and rotting.

All of a sudden, Rose got a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt as if she were being watched.

"Who's there?!" Rose demanded with a shaky voice. She heard a twig snap to her right. She was about to turn around when she heard Al and Scorp shouting her name in the distance.

"Rose!"

"There you are!"

Al and Scorp ran up to her out of breath. "Why did you run off?" Al asked panting. "You could've gotten hurt!" Al said angry now that he had caught his breath.

Rose felt foolish. She had let her emotions get the best of her. She had let all of the stress and tension from Belby's comments and the hurt from having her two friends leave her behind get to her.

"I'm sorry," Rose said quietly. "I ran away because I didn't want you to see me cry."

With that, Al's expression softened. "Rose, why didn't you tell us you felt this way?"

"Because I didn't want to sound clingy, and I didn't want you to hate me for taking your attention away from the other people that wanted to hang around you guys," Rose said truthfully.

"Rose, you're my best friend," Scorpius said. He couldn't believe he had made Rose cry. "I know I haven't been acting like a good friend recently, but if you'll accept my apology, then I promise that I'll never leave you behind again," Scorpius said sincerely.

Rose was about to reply when she was interrupted by voice of Lucius Malfoy.

"Well, now isn't this just… touching?" Lucius Malfoy sneered.

The trio whipped around in alarm. They couldn't believe their eyes. Lucius Malfoy was supposed to Azkaban. Although he had repented later in life, his crimes were too great and too serious for him to have gotten off the hook so easily. He was supposed to be in Azkaban for another five years.

"Draco, what are you doing hanging around the like's of Potter and that Mudblood Granger?" Lucius asked sneering at Rose. It was then that Rose realized that something was off about Lucius. His eyes weren't their normal color. In fact, Rose realized startled, they were pitch black. She couldn't even see his pupils.

"What are you talking about Grandfather?" Scorpius asked alarmed.

"What am I talking about?! What are you talking about!" Lucius demanded. "Come here now Draco. I shall take care of Wonder Boy and the Mudblood."

Scorpius tackled Lucius just as he was about to shoot a spell from his wand. Scorpius tried his best to contain his Grandfather, but he was too strong. Lucius got to his feet with murder in his eyes.

"You've gone too far Draco!" And with that Lucius shot a spell towards Scorpius who was trying to get off the ground.

"NOOO!" Rose shouted as she jumped in front of Scorpius. The force of Lucius' spell shot Rose into the house behind them where she landed with a thump.

"Hey!" Al yelled as he charged at Lucius. "That's my cousin you shit-face!"

Lucius had seen him coming and shot a binding spell at Albus. Albus smashed to the ground with ropes binding him. The more he wiggled the tighter the ropes became. Al then glared at Lucius.

"Now, that Potter here is out of the way, I can finally put the Mudblood where she belongs," Lucius said as he walked to the moaning Rose.

"Leave her alone!" Scorpius said as he pointed his wand at his obviously deranged Grandfather.

"Really Draco? You're protecting a Mudblood?" Lucius sneered. "It seems that I will need to give you a harsh punishment when we go home."

"I'm not going anywhere with you! You're crazy!" Scorpius shouted.

"Don't test me boy," Lucius said dangerously. "Because you will seriously regret it."

"I don't care!" and with that, Scorpius began to duel with his Grandfather.

"Ha, is that all you've got Draco?" Lucius barked. "You're even weaker than I thought!" And with a super powerful curse, Lucius sent Scorpius hurtling into the wall next to Rose.

"Scorp! Are you ok?" Rose asked worriedly as she helped Scorpius stand up.

"Never better," Scorpius replied groaning.

"Silence!" Lucius said as he advanced towards the duo.

Scorpius instinctively stepped in front of Rose.

"Oh no you don't!" Lucius moved Scorpius to the side and put a full body bind on him so he couldn't move. "Now where were we?" Lucius asked turning back to Rose.

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" Al said. He had managed to free himself from his bonds while Lucius was fighting with Scorpius.

"How could I ever forget you Potter," Lucius said sarcastically. "No matter, I'll simply have to bind you again, only this time with tighter ropes.

Rose looked on helplessly as Albus began to duel with Lucius. She had to do something, or else Al would get hurt. She wasn't really in any position to duel. Her head was pounding, and she suspected that at least one of her ribs was broken from her flying into the wall.

Come on Rose, think! Suddenly, Rose remembered something Astoria had told her on their way to Scorpius's trial. She remembered how Astoria had used her Patronus to ask for help. Rose would have to try that. What was the spell again? Oh yes, Expecto Patronum. Rose remembered reading all about patronuses earlier this year when she was alone in the library. In order to produce a patronus, you needed to think of your happiest memory.

Rose tried to think of her happiest memory. Merlin, her head hurt. She had to hurry, it sounded like Al was faring pretty poorly in the duel, and Scorp was no help because Rose didn't know what spell Lucius had used to bind him. It certainly wasn't Petrificus Totalis.

Scorpius. Quidditch pitch. Ravenclaw winning the Quidditch cup. Rose knew what her memory was! Expecto Patronum, Expecrto Patronum, Rose chanted in her head over and over all the while focusing on her memory. At first only silver whisps appeared, but on her third try, her patronus formed. Rose stared at her patronus in awe. Staring back at her was a beautiful silver wolf.

We need help! Rose whispered. Please find Uncle Harry, my father, and Draco Malfoy!" Rose said frantically to her patronus who blinked and then disappeared.

"Who are you talking to girl?" Lucius Malfoy asked as he flung Albus across the road. Al didn't get up.

Rose didn't answer him. As Lucius advanced on her, Rose was once again struck by the color of his eyes and the almost manic look on his face. Rose was sure that something was wrong. Someone or something must be influencing Lucius' actions!

"Come here you filthy Mudblood." Lucius growled as he dragged Rose to him by her hair. 'Let's see how dirty your blood really is."

Lucius then pulled out the knife that Bellatrix Lestrange had used on her mother many years ago. And without further ado, he pressed the knife to her throat…

Four loud pops announced the arrival of Harry, Ron, Draco, and Hermione. A shocked Lucius was then blasted away from Rose by a spell from a furious Ron Weasley.

"That's my daughter Malfoy!" Ron yelled as Rose fell to the ground. Her legs would no longer support her.

"Rose!" Hermione said as she ran to her daughter.

"Mum?" Rose asked quietly.

"Oh, Rose," Hermione said weeping silently. When she had seen Lucius with the knife pressed to Rose's throat… She was taken back to the day of her own torture, and was terrified that it was happening again, only this time to her daughter.

"Rose!" Scorpius yelled as he limped over. His father had freed him and roused Albus while Harry and Ron attended to Lucius Malfoy. "Are you alright?"

"I'm ok. How are you?" Rose asked Scorpius.

"I'm fine. Al?" Scorpius asked as Al walked over.

"I'm fine. Your Dad patched me up," Al said.

Upon seeing that her daughter was fine, Hermione decided to go and help her husband and best friend. She may have been helpless when she was being tortured, but she most certainly wasn't helpless now.

All of a sudden, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco were blasted away by a strong surge of power. It appeared that Lucius Malfoy had managed to overcome all four of their magic, which under normal circumstances would be impossible.

As soon as he was free, Lucius began to stalk towards Rose, Al, and Scorp who were determinedly backing away from him. Lucius smirked once he had them cornered against the wall.

Both Al and Scorp put their arms around Rose, and glared At Lucius menacingly.

Lucius just laughed.

Rose knew that something was off, so she attempted to try and get to the real Lucius Malfoy. "Please Mr. Malfoy. I know this isn't you. You felt sorrow and remorse for what you did when you were a Death Eater. You were going to be let out of Azkaban in five years!" Rose pleaded.

Lucius faltered for the first time since arriving. Rose saw a flash of Lucius' normal eyes before they turned pitch black once again.

"Silence Mudblood! You know not of what you speak!" Lucius said.

"I know that you're not the real Lucius Malfoy. You're just controlling him!" Rose yelled. "If you're in there at all, fight against what's controlling you!" Rose appealed to the glimpse of Lucius that she had seen behind the darkness.

Lucius once again stopped in his tracks. His eyes kept on switching between their normal color and the pitch black. He sunk to his knees. It was if he was fighting against himself.

By this time, Harry and the rest of the adults had recovered, and they were approaching slowly from behind.

"Enough! Lucius yelled. He seemed to be yelling at whatever was controlling him. But, it seemed that whatever was controlling Lucius was stronger than he was. All of a sudden Lucius stood up straight and tall. His eyes were back to their pitch black color. But now, his eyes and mouth were leaking a black liquid.

Rose buried her face in Scorpius' chest.

Lucius smiled a manic smile, and before the adults could curse him, he said, "The Brotherhood will prevail. You have been warned."

And with that, Lucius Malfoy dropped dead.

* * *

Uncle Harry called an emergency meeting at the Burrow. Every member of the DA and Order of the Phoenix attended. Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione had decided that it was finally time to let everyone know about the Brotherhood.

Everyone was in an uproar over what had happened. It turned out that Lucius had been placed under a dark curse that hadn't been used in centuries due to its unpredictability and fatality. Those placed under the curse had no chance of survival; they would die as soon as their task was complete. The curse feed off of the wrongdoings that one had committed during their lives. The only way to fight off the curse would be to feel remorse, which Lucius did after the war. That's how he was able to fight the curse off for short periods of time.

Lucius had escaped Azkaban with the help from an Imperiused Narcissa who then obliviated the guards and put false memoires in them. Narcissa fell apart upon hearing of her husband's gruesome death and her unintentional role in causing his demise.

While Al and Scorpius were using a new and improved bug to listen to the Order's conversations with the rest of the underage cousins, Rose had decided to opt out. She had enough on her plate to think about. On the top of that list came the realization that she didn't just have a crush on her best friend, she had bloody fallen in love with him!

Rose didn't know what to do. The only thing she could be grateful for now was that summer was just around the corner.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

It was a cold but sunny day in late October. Halloween was only a few days away. Usually, this was Rose's favorite time of year. She loved everything about fall—the leaves, the cooler weather that was just perfect for layering, and the delicious smells of all the pies baking in the kitchens. Everything was perfect, except for this year.

Rose was sitting in the library. She was supposed to be doing homework and studying, for this was the year she'd take her OWL examinations. Rose was taking OWL level Charms, Transfiguration, DADA, Potions, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, and Ancient Runes, all of which were the toughest classes Hogwarts offered. Everyone knew not to bug Rose when she was in the library, unless they wanted to be hit by a Bat Boogey hex.

But Rose couldn't concentrate on her studies. She was too worried about, well, everything. The Brotherhood was getting stronger, and everyone was on high alert. And, on top of everything else, Rose was worried about being in love with her best friend. She had heard that the chances of best friends falling in love with each other was very slim. Her parents were the only exception, and they didn't count because they were weird.

"Rose!" a teary eyed Lily Luna Potter said as she approached her cousin's table.

"Lily! What's wrong? Are you ok?!" Rose asked as she snapped out of her musings.

"No!" Lily wailed. "Oh Rosie! It's so horrible!"

"What? What happened?" Rose asked worriedly.

"Not here! Come on!" Lily said as she began to hastily pack up all of Rose's belongings. "This way!"

Rose had no choice but to follow her cousin. "Lily! Where are we going?" Rose demanded as Lily strode through the castle.

"To the Room of Requirement! I need a room where we wouldn't be disturbed. I need to tell you something important!" Lily said as she led the way up to the seventh floor.

Lily began pacing in front of the stretch of wall while muttering under her breath. All of a sudden, a door appeared in what had previously been solid wall.

"Well, come on!" Lily said as she disappeared through the door.

"What did you want to talk about Lily?" Rose asked as soon as the door shut behind her. Rose turned around to see Lily pacing in front of what Rose thought looked like the Gryffindor common room. "I thought you wanted a place where we wouldn't be disturbed. I doubt that the Gryffindor common room meets that criteria," Rose said amused.

Lily seemed generally confused as she looked around the room. "I didn't mean for it to turn into the Gryffindor common room! I just asked for a room that I would feel comfortable in," Lily said. "But that's not why I asked you to come here."

"Well?" Rose prompted after several minutes of silence.

"Yes, ok! Sorry! Well here goes nothing!" Lily said nervously.

Rose had to cock an eyebrow at this. Lily was never nervous. In fact, she was usually quite the opposite. If Lily was worried, then there must be a good reason to be.

"IthinkIlikemybestfriend," Lily said in a rush.

"Um, I don't think I quite got what you said Lily. Could you repeat that a bit slower?" Rose asked confusedly. She assumed Lily had meant to say something half-way intelligent, but it sounded like mumble jumble when it came out of her mouth.

Lily took a deep breath and gathered her strength. "I said that I think I like my best friend."

"Really? Who?" Rose asked. It seemed like she and Lily could be in the same boat.

"Lysander Scammander," Lily said.

"That's great Lils!" Rose said. Lily and Lysander were best friends, and had loads of stuff in common with each other. They were both third year Gryffindors. Lysander's twin brother Lorcan, was in Ravenclaw.

"No it's not!" Lily said wailing.

Rose was confused. She didn't see why liking Lysander would be such a problem. He was a genuinely nice boy, even if he did get a bit cocky at times.

"I'm sorry Lils, but I don't see what the problem is," Rose said.

"These are the problem!" Lily yelled as she pulled out a pair of thick rimmed square glasses. "I have to wear glasses! James and Al don't need them! How come I need them!" Lily said as she burst into tears. "I look horrible in them!"

Rose couldn't for the life of her figure out why Lily was upset over glasses. And, just for the record, Lily did not look ugly with glasses. In fact, they seemed to emphasize her hazel eyes. Rose told Lily this, but she didn't believe her.

"I'm never going to get Ly's attention now," Lily moaned. "I'm not pretty like all of the other girls in my house."

"Lily Luna Potter! You look at me right now!" an annoyed Rose said to her cousin. This made Lily's head snap up in surprise. "Stop moaning about needing to get glasses! There are more important things to worry about. If Lysander is the friend I think he is, then a measly pair of glasses shouldn't change anything!"

This left Lily speechless. Rose had never acted cross with her before. This made Lily feel guilty and uncomfortable. So like any teenager, Lily decided to lash out at Rose in order to make herself feel better.

"Why are you acting this way Rose? I thought that I could talk to you about this without you judging me! What happened to being best cousins?" Lily asked angrily.

"We still are best cousins Lils! But when you came to me in the library crying, I thought that something serious had happened! I thought that maybe someone else had gotten hurt because of the Brotherhood!" Rose said just as angrily.

This calmed Lily down. She had forgotten that her cousin was there during the Brotherhood's last major attack, and that she had seen someone die right before her eyes.

"I'm sorry Rose," Lily said quietly. "You're right. I was just being stupid. I don't actually mind how I look in glasses. I guess I just needed to let some steam out or something."

"It's ok. I just have a lot on my plate," Rose said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry too. I remember what it was like to be thirteen and to suddenly be worried about how you look. Heck, I still worry about that."

"You know you can tell me anything Rose," Lily said. She could tell that her cousin looked like she was about to burst.

Rose sighed. "I'll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone anything that is said in this room," Rose said as she looked Lily in the eye.

"I promise," Lily said.

"Well, you see, it's about Scorpius," Rose said with a blush. "I kind of like him too. No wait, I'm in love with him. I've gone and fallen in love with my best friend, and now I don't know what to do!" Rose said that last part while pacing back and forth nervously.

"Well, I figured as much," Lily said. "I mean, you guys always hung out together, and Scorpius is rather good looking, so I figured it was only a matter of time before you started having feelings for him," Lily said with a shrug.

"Oh," was all that Rose could come up with. She had thought that Albus was the only one who had any inkling of what she had been feeling regarding Scorpius, and even he didn't know the extent of her feelings. "Is it really that obvious?!" Rose asked nervously.

"Only if you look for it," Lily replied cryptically. "Don't worry, I don't think Scorpius knows. But I think he should."

"You think I should tell Scorpius?" Rose asked tentatively. In all honesty, Rose had been thinking about telling Scorpius how she felt. She wanted to have a chance before some other girl sunk her claws into him.

"Well, I would want to know if I were Scorpius," Lily said. "Besides, you'll never know if Scorpius likes you back unless you tell him!" Lily said with a smile.

"Yea, you're right Lily!" Rose said. That's it, she would do it. After all, her mother had told her that some things were worth fighting for.

* * *

Rose, Al, and Scorp were staying up late to do homework two days before the Christmas holidays started. Everyone else was upstairs in bed asleep except for the three of them. The three of them were working on a particularly challenging essay for Transfiguration.

"Ugh, how many inches must I write about the pros and cons of human transfiguration before McGonagall is happy?" Al asked tiredly.

"The essay is supposed to be thirteen inches. You look like you have ten," Rose said as she peered over Al's shoulder.

"Do you want to finish mine since you're done with all of your homework?" Al asked Rose hopefully.

This caused a snort to escape from Scorpius who was just putting the finishing touches on his homework.

"Al, you wouldn't learn anything if I do your homework for you," Rose chided. "Besides, you've only got two more inches to go!"

"ARGHHH, I give up!" Al shouted. "My brain is fried. I'll just finish these last two inches before class tomorrow," Al said as he packed up his stuff and left for the boy's dormitory.

"I think I'm going to head up too," Scorpius said as he stretched.

Rose couldn't help but notice the way his muscles moved as he stretched. "Wait!" Rose shouted at Scorpius as he was about to head up the stairs. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked more quietly.

Rose decided to give herself a little pep talk as Scorpius walked back over to her. She was going to do it tonight. Tell him how she really felt. She thought that now would be the perfect time because it was right before the holidays.

"What do you want to talk about so badly that couldn't wait until morning?" Scorpius teased.

Rose blushed at his teasing tone. Maybe she had been a tad bit too loud when she had asked him to wait… "I just wanted to say that…" Rose trailed off with a blush. Merlin this was harder than it looked.

Scorpius just stared at Rose. He really had no idea where this was going or why Rose was blushing. All he wanted to do was go to bed so he'd be able to function in the morning.

"I love you!" Rose suddenly exclaimed. Could she have been any more embarrassing?!

"Yea, that's great Rose," Scorpius said before turning to walk away. Wait, what?! "What did you say Rose?" Scorpius asked suddenly wide awake.

"I said that I love you!" Rose replied with a blush. "As in, I Rose Nymphadora Weasley am in love with my best friend, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy," Rose said when all Scorpius did was stare at her.

"Rose I…" Scorpius started as he scratched the back of his head. Merlin, he didn't know what to say. He had no idea that Rose had felt that way about him! He certainly didn't think that way about her. Rose was just Rose. Incredibly beautiful, smart, kind, and an all-around amazing person. "Rose, I'm sorry, but I just don't feel the same way. I'm actually dating Melissa," Scorpius said to a steadily paling Rose.

Rose couldn't believe what was happening. Scorpius didn't love her. She was just his best friend. Rose couldn't help the tears that were suddenly escaping her eyes. She needed to get away before she totally lost it in front of Scorpius.

Scorpius felt horrible. He was the one who was making Rose's beautiful eyes swell up with tears. His heart actually ached at the sight. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't want to lie to her either. Scorpius did love Rose, but he wasn't in love with her.

All of a sudden, Rose turned tail and ran from the common room.

"Rose, wait!" Scorpius called after her, but she was already gone.

Rose ran as fast and as far away as she could from the place where the boy she loved broke her heart. Before she knew it, she was in front of the Room of Requirement. Without even thinking of the consequences, Rose opened the door and went inside.

* * *

Rose was woken up to the sounds of Lily, Al, and Mei all calling her name.

"What?" Rose asked groggily. Then all of the memories came flooding back to her. All she wanted to do was disappear under the covers and never ever come out.

Apparently Al had other ideas. "Rose! You missed a prefects meeting!" he said scandalized. He and Rose usually walked to the meetings together, but when she didn't show up, Al had to leave without her so he wouldn't be late. "The Head Boy and Head Girl were wondering where you were, and I had to lie and say you were sick!" Al said putting emphasis on the word lie. Rose knew better than anyone how much he sucked at lying.

"How did you find me?" Rose asked.

Lily, Al, and Mei exchanged glances with each other. This wasn't normal behavior for Rose. Under normal circumstances Rose would be horrified at the prospect of missing a prefect meeting, but now that she'd actually missed one, she couldn't care less.

Lily looked at her cousin through narrowed eyes. "Alright, spill," she ordered.

Rose turned her head towards Lily with dead and bloodshot eyes. "I told him," she said.

While Al and Mei looked lost and confused, Lily let out a startled gasp. "Oh Rose!" Lily said while she gave her cousin a hug.

Rose started sobbing again as soon as she felt Lily's arms around her. "He said he didn't feel the same way, that he didn't love me!" she wailed. "He's dating Melissa!"

"Alright, what is going on?!" an totally confused and exasperated Al asked of the room in general once it appeared that no one was going to answer him. Rose was crying, and Lily and Mei were hugging and whispering consoling words to her.

"Rose told Scorpius that she was in love with him, and he said he didn't feel the same way," Lily recited. "Then he had the audacity to tell Rose that he was dating that skank Melissa!"

This made Al's blood boil. No one hurt his cousin, no one! Not even Scorpius could get away with that. Although, Al was surprised that Scorpius had told Rose he didn't love her. Al had thought that they would both end up together.

Rose, Lily, and Mei looked up in time to see the door slam shut. They all exchanged glances with each other.

"I think he's going to go teach Scorpius a lesson," Lily said.

"Oh no! I should go and stop him!" Rose said as she attempted to get up.

Mei and Lily exchanged glances before pushing Rose back down on the bed the Room of Requirement had conjured for her last night.

"No, you leave Scorpius to Albus. Albus will confront him, but he wouldn't do it in front of anyone," Mei said in an attempt to stop Rose from worrying.

"And we're going to get you ready for the day! You need to hold your chin up high!" Lily said. "We leave tomorrow, so you can mope then. But for now you have to pretend that you aren't phased by any of this!"

And with that, Lily pushed Rose into the bathroom that the room had provided. "Shower, shave, and then put these clothes on!" Lily instructed as she handed Rose a pile of clothes.

"Where did you get these Lily?" Rose asked. Those weren't her clothes.

"The room gave them to me," Lily responded dismissively. "I asked for something that would look flattering with your figure that would also make Scorpius sorry for ever rejecting you," Lily added as she locked Rose in the bathroom.

Although she was still sad, Rose couldn't help but smile. She couldn't ask for two better girlfriends than Lily and Mei.

Rose stepped out of the bathroom all clothed only to find Lily and Mei looking her up and down critically.

"Err, is something wrong?" Rose asked nervously.

"No, we're just not used to seeing you in jeans," Mei replied.

"Seriously Rose! Why don't you ever wear anything other than sweatpants? I'd kill for your figure," Lily said enviously.

Rose blushed at that. It was true that her figure was quite nice. She was around 5'5 with long, lean, and toned legs from Quidditch. Her hips fanned out nicely accentuating her toned bum and abs. But the biggest change that Rose had noticed in the past year was the size of her breasts. They had gone from barely there to an impressive 32 C in the span of a few short months. Rose tried to hide them and the rest of her figure so that Belby couldn't find anything else to mock her with.

Rose told her cousin and Mei about Belby. This caused Lily's ears to go the signature Weasley red, and for Mei to narrow her eyes dangerously. If they had known about this earlier…

"Rose! Don't listen to a word that Belby says!" Mei exclaimed. "You're beautiful! Inside and out!"

"Like I already said, you have a figure that every girl in this school would dream of having! It's even better than Melissa's!" Lily said with a smirk. Melissa would be so jealous once she caught sight of Rose in the outfit she was wearing today.

Rose had on a pair of high rise dark wash jeggings that clung to her legs and bum. She was wearing knee high equestrian style riding boots that made her outfit look polished and put together. On top, she was wearing a pretty blue V-neck long sleeved t-shirt that showed off her bust and her slim and toned tummy. It was tight without being skanky.

Rose looked at herself in the mirror. She had never really bothered to wear clothes that flattered her figure because Belby had convinced her that she was too boyish, short, and fat to be considered attractive. As she was looking in the mirror, Rose couldn't help but wonder why she had ever believed a word Belby had ever said. Her body was healthy, toned, and hers. It would put the Victoria's Secret models that everyone in America seemed to be obsessed with to shame.

Rose smiled, and then frowned once she looked at her face.

"What's wrong?" Mei asked.

"My face and hair. My face is just so plain, and my hair too bushy," Rose replied.

"Nonsense," Lily said. "Your face is completely acne free now, and your eyes are this striking ocean blue. There is nothing plain about that. As for your hair… Well, you did inherit Aunt Hermione's bushiness, but it's managed to tame itself this year. I guess you have your Dad to thank for that!" Lily joked.

Upon seeing that Rose still looked uncertain, Mei turned her towards the mirror once again. "I want you to look at yourself Rose. Really look at yourself. I want you to disregard whatever stupid ideas Belby has put in your head and look at yourself from an outside perspective. Now tell me what you see."

Rose did as Mei instructed. "I see a girl of about average height with auburn red, wavy hair that goes to her mid-chest. She has eyes the color of the ocean and a clear complexion," Rose said.

"Keep going!" Lily cheered.

This made Rose more confident. "I see a girl with a healthy, beautiful, and if I do say sexy body!" Rose said smiling. "She's smiling because she can actually see herself correctly for the first time since first year. I see a girl who is confident and intelligent and kind…" Rose trailed off smiling like mad.

This caused Lily and Mei to start cheering.

"Whoo!"

"Go get em' girl!"

Rose couldn't help but laugh. Her friends had managed to make her smile through her heartbreak, and undo the damage that Belby had instilled in her body image and overall confidence. And for that, Rose couldn't be more grateful.

* * *

Rose made her way through the remainder of classes with her head held high. She would walk to and from class with Lily and Mei flanking her. Rose couldn't help but be pleased when she saw that students were doing double takes when she walked by. Even Belby, who always had something to say to her, was oddly silent.

Rose and Mei made their way to the Ravenclaw table at dinner. Heads turned as they walked down the aisle. Everyone wanted to see for themselves if Rose Weasley was actually wearing jeans. All of the girls couldn't help but stare enviously as the guys rubbed their eyes in disbelief as the Rose Weasley they had all thought of as 'one of the guys' suddenly became quite the girl.

This made Rose smile. She was done hiding behind sweats. She had always secretly wanted to dress the way she was now, but she just didn't think she could pull it off. But now that she knew she could… Well, she saw a shopping trip in the near future.

Rose and Mei sat down opposite of Al and Scorpius, who were glaring in opposite directions from each other.

"Hi!" Rose said to both of the boys. She prided herself with the fact that she didn't break down upon seeing Scorpius again. It also helped that Mei had squeezed her hand in encouragement right before they had sat down.

Rose's greeting caused Al and Scorpius to look up in surprise. They hadn't expected Rose to come down to dinner as she hadn't showed up until after lunch.

Scorpius looked at Rose. He really needed to apologize. It was pretty tactless of him to not tell Rose about Melissa, only to dump it all on her after she had confessed her feelings for him.

Scorpius opened his mouth to tell her all of this when he caught Rose's eye. She looked away quickly and instead focused on the conversation Al and Mei were having.

Scorpius used this time to study Rose. He had heard that she was wearing what one boy in his class had dubbed 'actual girls clothes.' The boy had also said that she looked 'really hot.' Scorpius could now see that the boy was right on both accounts. But 'hot' wasn't the right word to describe Rose with. The closest Scorpius could come up with was 'incredibly and impossibly breathtaking.' Scorpius didn't know how he had missed that all of the years they were friends.

Scorpius' train of thought was interrupted by the yell of, "Scorpy babe!"

Melissa had arrived at the table and placed herself directly on Scorpius' lap. While she had smiled and flirted shamelessly with Scorpius, she had sent a death glare towards Rose. This was caught by everyone but Scorpius.

Rose just cocked her eyebrow in response. Melissa didn't scare her. Rose was the top of her class, and the smartest witch in the school. She could take Melissa down any day.

Melissa seemed to notice this because her grip on Scorpius' neck got even tighter. "Come on Scorpy. Let's go somewhere more private," she said as she dragged Scorpius out of the great hall.

Rose just rolled her eyes.

* * *

The train ride home was awkward. Rose really didn't know how else to describe it. There was this tension between her and Scorpius, and Albus and Scorpius. Melissa was in the compartment, and she was shooting death rays at Rose whenever Scorpius wasn't paying attention. Mei was shooting covet looks in Albus' direction, and Lily was glaring at Melissa.

Rose couldn't take the tension anymore. "Alright, I'm going to go and, well yea," Rose finished lamely. Oh well, she didn't care. She just wanted to leave.

Before she could leave, Scorpius grabbed her arm. "Rose, we really need to talk," he said.

Rose really wanted to refuse him. She wasn't ready. She was putting up a brave front, but in reality, she was hurting. But she couldn't refuse because Scorpius looked just like he did the first day on the train: confused, lost, and a bit hurt. Rose sighed and nodded her acceptance.

Scorpius gave her a smile that made Rose's heart race as he led them to an empty compartment.

"Look Rose, I wanted to apologize about the other night," Scorpius said. "I shouldn't have told you about Melissa right after you told me how you felt."

"No you shouldn't have," Rose said suddenly angry. "You should have told me way before! I thought we were best friends! Why did you think you had to keep that from me!"

Scorpius sighed. This wasn't going how he planned it. "I didn't tell you because I knew how you felt about Melissa. I didn't want you to break us up just because you didn't like her." Scorpius realized his mistake as soon as he said it.

"I see," Rose said dangerously calm. "I see that I must be a horrible friend. I must be someone who only has her own best interests at heart, and who doesn't give a shit about anyone else! I must be the type of girl who would prevent her best friend from finding happiness with another girl just because she doesn't like said girl and is secretly in love with him! That must be me!"

Rose said all of this calmly. It was extremely unnerving, and it made Scorpius feel horrible and guilty all at once. He would prefer that she had yelled at him. "Rose, I…" Scorpius all but begged.

"Save your breath. I'm done," and with that, Rose left and didn't look back.

Scorpius slid down the wall and covered his face with his hands. He then punched the compartment wall, which caused what he figured was a broken finger. But Scorpius could care less. All he could think about was how badly he had fucked up the best thing that had ever happened to him.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

The man watched the three families from afar as they waited for the train that carried their children to arrive. The Potters and Weasleys were standing together talking amicably, while the Malfoys were standing a little ways off to the side. Even though the mothers and children were friends, it appeared that the fathers still weren't too friendly. The man smiled darkly to himself. It really was for the best.

The man stopped watching the families as the train pulled into the station. As soon as the train stopped, a teenage girl with long auburn red curls appeared in one of the doorways only to fling herself, sobbing into her mother's arms. The girl was closely followed by three other people. Two of them the man recognized. Albus and young Lily were quite famous. The man frowned as he looked at the other, half-Asian featured girl who seemed to be about Albus's age. If she was friends with the Potters and Weasleys, then she'd need to be watched too. He made a mental note of that for later.

The man watched in amusement as the sobbing red-head, he believed that this particular one was named Rose, was soon surrounded by concerned family members. Albus, Lily, and the mystery girl began talking at once as both Ron and Hermione demanded to know what was wrong. Albus and Lily looked angry, and the mystery girl looked concerned. Whatever they were saying must not have been good, for the man noticed that Ron's ears began to glow red, the tell-tale Weasley warning of anger.

Almost at once, the whole entire Potter and Weasley family, minus the still sobbing Rose, turned towards a person who had just gotten off the train. The man turned to see who the unlucky person was. He managed to muffle a snort. The person that had earned the ire from all of the younger Potters and Weasleys, and Ron in particular, was none other than Scorpius Malfoy! And, it looked like Scorpius was also upset, and holding what looked to be a recently injured hand. This really was too perfect.

The man's amused grin only grew as he heard the dulcet tones of an infuriated Ron Weasley. The man would bet that all of London could hear him. "MALFOY! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU DO TO MAKE MY DAUGHTER CRY?!"

With that, all movement and conversation on the platform came to a dead halt. Everyone stopped to watch what they thought would be the much anticipated Weasley-Malfoy showdown. The man couldn't help but watch with rapt attention. If he was lucky, both Malfoy and Weasley would end up putting each other in the hospital, or even better, killing each other this very afternoon.

Draco Malfoy was shocked. There was no other word for what he was feeling. For the first time in his life, he lost his signature Malfoy look of indifference. And in public no less. "I can assure you, that I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Malfoy senior hissed in a whisper that nonetheless carried through the still crowds due to the dead silence.

"Not you!" Ron said to Draco. "I'm talking about HIM!" and with that Ron pointed a hand, trembling with rage, to an embarrassed and stunned Scorpius Malfoy, who was still standing in no-man's land between the train and the three families.

The man couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He took pleasure in the fact that the Malfoy family was on the receiving end of some public humiliation, and not the cause of it, for once.

Hermione Weasley apparently did not share the same sentiments. "RONALD WEASLEY!" she yelled at her enraged husband. "What do you think you're doing? Making a spectacle in the middle of the packed platform, and in front of students no less?!"

Hermione could be scary when angry. The man once again chuckled to himself. He almost felt bad for her husband.

"Grab Hugo! We're leaving now!" Hermione told Ron in a voice that would hear no arguments. "If you're not home in five minutes… So help me Ronald!" Hermione left the rest of her meaning open to interpretation as she disapparated with Rose and all of the luggage. Ron's face was priceless.

"Come on Hugo! You heard your mother!" and with that, Ron grabbed his stunned son and disapparated also.

The man looked back towards the Malfoys and Potters. It seemed that the half-Asian looking girl had departed when he wasn't paying attention. Oh well, they could always have someone tail her later, after they looked into everything they could find about her and her family.

The man watched as an embarrassed looking Astoria Malfoy looked towards her equally embarrassed son. Then he watched as a furious Draco Malfoy turned towards both his wife and son and began to whisper furiously.

The man couldn't hear what they were saying, because by that time the noise levels had once again picked up. Apparently the crowds had lost interest knowing that there wouldn't be a showdown now that Ron had left.

The man watched as Draco looked at his son, then at his son's hand, and then towards the source of the loud, "SCORPY!" The look on Draco's face was priceless. It was even more comical than Weasley's had been when his wife had publically berated him.

Draco Malfoy looked livid. He was obviously in the middle of a family conversation, only to be interrupted by a skanky looking twat that didn't even know his son's name. The man really couldn't blame Draco for that one. If he had had a son, and some bimbo had interrupted his lecture like that girl had, well, there might not be a girl after that.

The man chuckled again as Draco's face got even more livid. It appeared that that girl was Scorpius' GIRLFRIEND! Oh, this was too funny. Wait, if that girl was Scorpius' girlfriend…

Everything suddenly made sense! Rose's crying, Ron's outburst, and the rest of the Potter and Weasley children looking towards Scorpius angrily… Rose must have feelings for the Malfoy boy, who obviously didn't feel the same towards her. If Rose was crying over this, and the rest of the children were mad, then the man bet that the Potter/Weasley family would be distancing themselves from the Malfoys. This would only make things easier. If the Potters and Weasleys abandoned the Malfoys, then they would be isolated and weak, and ripe for destruction.

The man smiled to himself. Scorpius had practically handed them exactly what they needed on a silver platter! He couldn't wait to inform everyone else of this newest development. Although he supposed that everyone would need to be informed of the girlfriend as well. Not that anyone would want to pull the short stick for going anywhere near the harpy who was now quite literally hanging off of Scorpius's arm. The one with the injured hand as well. The man snorted. Maybe he'd just neglect to inform about the girlfriend.

And with that the man apparated away, not realizing that the whole time he was watching the scenes unfold in front of him, he himself was being watched by a pair of vivid green eyes.

* * *

The man apparated to a house some unknown distance from the train station. As soon as he landed, he marched up to the door and rang the doorbell. Everything was silent until an eye stared at out at him through the peephole. Once his magical check was complete, he was allowed entrance.

The man walked through the house until he came to a room with huge wooden doors. The man opened the doors and stepped into the house's library. Inside the library was an odd assortment of men and women. They were odd in the sense that they all looked like perfectly normal, law abiding citizens. No one would have guessed that this meeting belonged to those in the Brotherhood.

"Ah, Erasmus! You've come back. Any news?" an older gentleman with glasses and thinning hair asked. He looked like the average muggle university professor. Not like what one would expect the leader of the Brotherhood to look like.

"Yes. I have news, Bernard. Splendid news in fact," Erasmus said to Bernard. Then turning to the room at large, he told of what he had heard and seen at the station that morning, minus the part about Scorpius's annoying girlfriend.

When he was finished, everyone in the room was grinning. This really was splendid news. The Malfoys would be easier to get to if they were no longer linked to the two most powerful wizarding families in the world.

Erasmus was grinning ear to ear. He knew that his information was good. He then turned to Bernard, who was deep in thought. "Now that the Malfoys are no longer on good terms with the Potter/Weasley family, this should mean that we no longer have to target them, correct?" While Erasmus wanted all of the former Death Eaters and their families to pay, he was a little hesitant with the idea of hurting the Golden Trio.

Bernard looked at Erasmus contemplatively. Then he turned to address the room at large. "Erasmus here has brought up a good point. Should we still pursue the Potter/Weasley family now that the Malfoys have had a fallen out with them?" Bernard looked at everyone as he asked this question.

Dead silence met his question. It appeared that no one knew what the "right" answer was.

"The correct answer is yes, we should. While the Potter/Weasley family were on the right and winning side during the war, they are still the strongest reminders of the war and all that it encompassed to this day," Bernard said as he began to pace back and forth behind his desk. "Our objective is to bring about justice for those who have been wronged. The only way to go about this is to start over."

"What do you mean?" one of the women asked.

"I mean that it is our responsibility to create a whole new world in place of the corrupt world that we live in now. We need to eradicate all forms of prejudice, and all links and reminders that that prejudice ever existed. That means, that unfortunately, the Potter and Weasley family will have to go, along with all of the other families that fought on either side of the war. Once they are gone, we can put forth efforts to try and dramatize the war. We can make it so that people think that the war was only a myth, or something that could happen if they chose to be closed minded and hateful."

Bernard's speech was met with all sorts of reactions. Some members were eager to lead what they believed was a new revolution, while others were more skeptical. The whole "new world" sounded like something that Voldemort had wanted to create, although his world would have been full of hate and prejudice.

"I can see that some of you are still not keen on the idea of creating a new world, probably because it reminds you of Voldemort," Bernard said. "I can ensure you that the new world that we help create will not be remotely close to the world that Voldemort wanted to create. Our world will be filled with acceptance towards everyone, and equality for all. There will be no sign of prejudice, and no way for a person to become 'better' than another. The Ministry will need to go as they are the foundation of corruption and the social hierarchy that contributes to the inequality faced in the Wizarding community."

While there were still a few skeptics, most everyone seemed to be more welcome to the idea of creating a new world.

"Now, let us plan," Bernard said as he sat down at his desk.

* * *

This chapter gives a bit more insight into the Brotherhood and their objectives.

Tell me what you think of them! Good or evil? Right idea or wrong idea?

Right idea, but wrong way of going about it? Wrong idea, and wrong way of going about it?

Are they as bad as the Death Eaters, as Voldemort? Your input is much appreciated.

Next chapter will be over winter holidays. It'll still be fifth year. We'll get to see how the Potter/Weasley family spend their Christmas, and maybe we'll see some more Scorose drama. And, maybe some AlMei hookups! Hurrah for magical mistletoe! ;)


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

It was the day before Christmas. That meant that it had been an entire week since Rose had last talked to Scorpius. Not that she was counting or anything. Rose couldn't blame Scorpius for the silence since he had written a letter every single day, sometimes more than one in a day. It was her own fault that they hadn't talked. Rose just wasn't ready to face him or her feelings yet.

Rose looked up as she heard footsteps outside of her door. Rose knew those footsteps. They belonged to the one and only Albus Severus Potter.

"Rose, you awake?" Al whispered from outside of her door.

Rose looked at her clock. It was six in the morning. She sighed, and got up to let her cousin in. "What do you want Al? It's six in the morning. You shouldn't be up for at least another three hours," Rose said.

"I'm only up because I knew you'd be up. You're an insanely early riser, Rosie," Al said with a grin.

Rose just rolled her eyes. "What do you want Al?"

"I want to know why you've been avoiding me. Is it because I decided to talk to Scorp again? It shouldn't be because you're the one who told me not to be mad at him, and that the matter was between the two of you," Al said anxiously.

Rose sighed at sat down on her bed. "No Al, I'm not avoiding you because of that per say…" Rose said as she absentmindedly stroked her hair. "It's more the fact that seeing you reminds me that you're talking to Scorpius again while I've been ignoring his letters. It's a guilt thing."

Al's eyes softened at that. "Rose, you don't have to feel guilty about anything. What Scorpius said to you on the train was so far out of line, that when I started talking to him again, the first thing I did was yell at him! You have every right to be mad! Even though Scorp and I are friends again, I'm still not over what he said to you," Al told Rose reassuringly.

"You think so Al? You don't think I'm just being a drama queen or selfish?" Rose asked. She honestly didn't know if she was making the right decision in ignoring Scorpius's letters.

"Yeah. I told Scorpius as much when he asked why you hadn't responded to his letters. I told him that you needed time, that what he said really hurt you, and that while you would eventually forgive him because you're such a selfless and amazing person, it would take time," Al told Rose as she leaned in for a much needed Albus hug.

"Thanks Al, you're really the best," Rose said with a smile.

"I know," Al said with a wink. "Scorpius said he's still going to write every day though, even if you don't respond to him. He said they're the only thing keeping him sane. Apparently his mother is cross with him for hurting you; she apparently adores you like her own daughter. Mrs. Malfoy's also angry at Scorp for punching a door and breaking his hand. And, his Dad is furious that Scorpius said something so hurtful to a girl, and not only any girl—to a girl whom Mr. Malfoy actually likes and respects. Also, Scorp's Mom and his Dad hate his girlfriend. Melissa apparently reminds Scorp's Dad of someone from his own school days who he isn't proud to be linked with now that he's older," Al said as he summarized what had been in Scorpius's previous letters.

"Oh," Rose replied slowly as she took in all the new information. She couldn't help but feel a bit better now that she knew that Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy actually liked her.

"So, what are your plans dear cousin of mine?" Al asked.

"I'm going to Diagon Alley with Lily and Mei. We're going shopping to take advantage of all the Christmas sales and specials!" Rose said excitedly.

This surprised Al. Rose had never shown excitement over shopping before. "You're… excited about shopping?" Al asked as he crinkled his nose.

"Oh, yes! The girls and I are going clothes shopping! I'm getting a whole new wardrobe!" Rose said as she laughed at the look of shock and confusion on Albus's face. Boys.

"But, you hate shopping! You were always the first to suggest leaving whenever you, I, and Scorpius would go shopping before school for our supplies every year!" Albus exclaimed. He didn't understand Rose's sudden change of mind about shopping. Girls.

"Oh, I never did tell you this… I didn't want you and Scorp to think I was weak or something stupid like that. I know now that not telling anyone for so long was a mistake. When I finally told Lily and Mei, it was like this giant weight was lifted from my chest!" Rose said. Upon seeing Al looking more confused than ever, Rose began telling Albus about Belby, and the bullying he had put her through for nearly five years.

Albus was fuming by the time Rose had finished telling her story. He couldn't believe that she had never told him or Scorpius about that! But, that was just like Rose. She was always willing to help others, but when she needed help… Rose was just too good and naive sometimes, Al thought sadly.

Albus got up suddenly. He needed to send a letter.

"Where are you going Al?" a confused Rose asked of Albus's sudden desire to leave her presence.

The only answer she got was an "Out!" before Albus left. This only left Rose more confused than ever.

* * *

"Rose! You have got to try these one!" Lily squealed as she raced back to the dressing room in one of the newer stores in Diagon Alley. This store was added after the war during the reconstruction and renovation. It was called Clothes and Chaos.

Rose thought that the name fit the store perfectly since it had every style and type of clothing fit for the teenage and young adult witch. And the store was currently chaotic as all the young witches attempted to take advantage of the huge sales. Rose was glad that they had got there early, and that she had Lily and Mei to help her out.

For one, they got a chance at most of the clothes before the crowds arrived, and two, because Lily and Mei both knew a lot about fashion. They knew what was in, and what looked good on her. And that was why Rose was currently trying on her, for what it seemed, 500th pair of jeans from the "mom" style (honestly Rose did not understand what was so mom about them) to the classic jeggings.

"Come out Rose! We want to see how you look!" Mei called from outside of the dressing room.

Rose stepped out wearing a pair of dark wash skinny jeans that accentuated her toned legs. She was wearing a dark tank-top with feathers with a slouchy, oversized rose pink cardigan. She completed the look with black boots. Doc Martins, the store lady had called them. Lily and Mei liked them because they were shiny and stylish; Rose liked them because they were comfortable and practical.

Lily and Mei gave her a thumbs up when they saw her latest ensemble.

"You look great Rose! You've looked great in everything you've tried on so far! You can just add those clothes and shoes to the 'keep' pile," Lily said while indicating to the large pile of clothes and accessories on her right.

Merlin that was a lot of clothes. Rose reckoned that there were more in that pile than she had ever owned in her life. Oh well, it was for a good cause. Rose was finally doing what she had always wanted to do, and dressing the way she had always dreamed of dressing. She was changing because she wanted to change. No longer would she bow down and hide because of the harsh words of others.

Rose changed out of the clothes she had on into the black leggings that were hand-me-downs from Victoire, and into the old flannel she had borrowed from her Dad. Rose then put her favorite equestrian boots on that she had had owned for years, but had never worn. Until now that is.

"Did you find everything ok?" the sales lady asked as Rose, Lily, and Mei all walked up to the checkout with mounds of clothes so high, it was nearly impossible to see over.

"Yes, thank you," Rose said as they all placed the clothes on the counter.

The sales lady stared in shock as she saw who her latest customers were. They were none other than Rose Weasley, and Lily Potter! Daughters of the famous Golden Trio! And they were shopping in her shop! It was almost too much for her to handle.

"How much do I owe you?" Rose asked as she dug in her bag for her wallet.

"Nothing, it's on the house," the woman answered promptly.

This caused Rose to look up in surprise. "Excuse me?" Rose asked. "Surely you don't mean that. All of this must cost at a minimum 200 galleons!"

"No, I was quite serious dearie. It's on the house," the woman said as she smiled at the three girls, who were staring at her with open mouths. "Your parents, they saved my life. I'm a muggle-born, and I was being questioned by the awful Dolores Umbridge in one of the Ministry Court Rooms. They were going to throw me into Azkaban on the charge of stealing a proper witch or wizard's magic!" the woman said angrily as she remembered the events from that day. "But then something remarkable happened. Runcorn, who was feared by most of the muggle borns, came in and stupefied the Death Eater presiding over the hearings and then Umbridge herself!" the woman said as she looked at the trio expectantly.

They just stared back at her. "I'm sorry. But we don't know what you're talking about," Rose said apologetically.

"It's fine dearie. I'll explain. You see, Runcorn was actually Harry Potter under the disguise of Polyjuice Potion! Your mother was the mousy witch Mafalda Hopkirk, and your father was my husband! They told my husband and I to grab our children and flee the country because we wouldn't receive fair treatment here, so that's what we did. We escaped to America where I started my clothing store. We moved back after the war, and our business has been doing great since. I owe your parents my and my family's life! So please, anything you want is on the house!" the woman finished with a smile. "And I wouldn't take no for an answer!" she said as she magically packed all of Rose's new clothes and shoes into bags.

Rose, Lily, and Mei were shocked. They had never known about this particular story before. Rose knew that her parents had snuck into the Ministry, but she hadn't known that they'd saved someone's life while doing so!

"Come again soon!" the nice lady called after the trio as they exited her shop into Diagon Alley.

"I think I need an ice cream," Rose said as they headed up the street.

"Ok, we can go to Florean's!" Mei said.

* * *

After their ice cream trip, the trio found themselves in a bookstore. Mei and Lily glanced at each other amused. It was so like Rose to want to look in a bookstore. "Rose, we're going to floo back to the house with all of your stuff. We'll be back after!" Lily said as she and Mei walked out of the store.

Rose just nodded her head in agreement. She was already too absorbed in her book. Rose turned to walk to where she knew a giant arm chair was waiting. But, she bumped into something before she could make her destination.

Rose looked up from her book confused. Blue eyes met hazel. Rose blinked as the tall figure of Hadrian Finnigan came into view. He smiled at her. Rose couldn't help but smile back.

Hadrian was the son of Seamus Finnigan. After the war, Seamus had traveled the world, only to meet and fall in love with South American beauty Adina Larson. He was a mix of both his parents. He had gotten his height from his model mother, but the fair complexion of his Irish father. His hair was a light, chocolaty brown, and he had his mother's good looks.

Hadrian had also received his mother's ambition and strive for greatness which had gotten him sorted into Slytherin the year before Rose went to Hogwarts. Rose liked Hadrian. He was everything good that Slytherin had to offer: smart, sly, ambitious, and talented. He was the only one who had known about Belby's bullying because he would usually be around when it occurred. He was the only one in the group of Slytherins who would stick up for her against Belby. And for that, Rose was extremely grateful.

"Hi! Fancy seeing you here!" Hadrian said with a wink.

Rose had to chuckle at that. It seemed that she and Hadrian would always meet when books were around. They always seemed to run into each other in the library at school.

"Hi Hadrian! Have you been having a good break?" Rose asked.

"Yes, it's been nice and relaxing, but sort of lonely. My mum had a modeling gig in the Caribbean, and my dad went with her. They were supposed to be back in time for Christmas, but they're currently stuck there due to a hurricane warning!" Hadrian remarked sadly.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry Hadrian! Is there anything I can do?" Rose asked concernedly.

"Thanks Rose. You're always so kind. But, no, I don't think there's anything you can do," Hadrian replied.

Rose felt so bad for Hadrian! She couldn't imagine spending the holidays alone, without her family… Rose had an idea. "Hey Hadrian, my family and I always have a Christmas party! Why don't you come stay the night at the Burrow, and then join us for our Christmas celebrations tomorrow?!" Rose asked excitedly.

Hadrian's eyes lit up. "Really, you mean it?! Thanks a bunch Rose! This really means a lot to me."

"It was my pleasure! After everything you've done for me," Rose said with a smile.

Hadrian knew immediately what Rose was referring to. "Is Belby still giving you trouble?" Hadrian asked with a growl.

Rose was surprised by this reaction, but she responded truthfully. "No, he seems to have stopped. He didn't say anything the day before break," Rose said remembering.

"Ah yes. The day you wore those jeans and that pretty top that matched your eyes," Hadrian said remembering. "You looked really pretty that day! I mean, you always look pretty, but you looked especially pretty that day!" Hadrian said with a blush.

"Thank you!" Rose said blushing. She wasn't used to getting compliments about her looks from boys outside of her family. Rose found that she was pleasantly surprised by how good it made her feel.

"Hey, do you want to grab a bite to eat? I know this cool new restaurant!" Hadrian asked excitedly.

"I'd love to!" Rose said smiling. "Let me just send a Patronus to Mei and Lily so they know where I am!" and with that, Rose conjured her wolf Patronus and sent it with a message to Mei and Lily.

"You can do a Patronus?!" Hadrian asked impressed. "But that's NEWT level curriculum!"

Rose just blushed. Today was turning out to be quite fun!

* * *

Lily and Mei were just arriving downstairs at the Burrow when Rose's Patronus reached them. Albus, and Scorpius, who had arrived early for the party tomorrow, were in the room with the floo.

All four of them stopped what they were doing to listen to what Rose's Patronus had to say.

"Lily, Mei, I'm going out to lunch with Hadrian Finnigan, so don't bother trying to find me in the book store. I'll come back to the Burrow once it's over. Oh, and can you tell Nana Molly that Hadrian will be staying the night and then for the party tomorrow? I'll explain later."

Lily, Mei, Al, and Scorpius all looked at each other once Rose's patronus disappeared.

"Hadrian?! Since when has she been friendly with Hadrian?!" Scorpius asked somewhat bitterly.

"Since you've been too busy to pay her proper attention," Lily snapped irritably. She still hadn't forgiven Scorpius for hurting her cousin. "Just because you never noticed she was a girl didn't mean that other boy's haven't! Besides, I like Hadrian, and I think he and Rose would make a lovely couple!" Lily added before prancing off.

Mei and Al exchanged glances, and then looked over at Scorpius, who looked like he had been hit in the face with a bludger.

Albus sighed. This Christmas was going to be interesting.

* * *

Next chapter will be the Christmas party! I wonder what drama will unfold there now that Scorpius and Hadrian are in the same house. Is Scorpius jealous? Only time will tell!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Albus, Lily, Mei, and Scorpius were all sitting in the Burrow's family room, waiting for Rose and Hadrian to arrive. Albus glanced at the clock with his eyebrows furrowed. If Rose didn't come back soon, she would miss dinner. Then she'd have to face the wrath of an angry Nana Weasley.

Molly Weasley Senior was grandmother to all of the Potter/Weasley grandchildren, and the matriarch of the whole family. She absolutely hated when people skived out on dinner, especially if it was a holiday one as well. The Weasley family was a family of traditions, and one of those traditions was gathering together on Christmas Eve for a nice family dinner.

Albus, Lily, Scorpius, and Mei all stopped what they were doing and looked towards the fire place once they heard the tell-tale sound of the floo. They watched as Rose stumbled out laughing, only to be knocked over by Hadrian, who had arrived right behind her.

Rose and Hadrian glanced at each other from their sprawled positions on the floor and promptly burst into hysterical laughter. Rose couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun! Hadrian was honestly an amazing guy, and Rose couldn't help but spill her whole life story to him during lunch. She had told him everything; from Belby and Scorpius, to her concern about the Brotherhood. Hadrian for his part, had been understanding and supportive.

Hadrian got to his feet, and held out his hand for Rose to take. Rose gladly took it. Hadrian had been quite the gentleman. He had pulled out her chair for her during lunch, opened the doors for her after lunch as they visited the other shops in Diagon Alley, and he had even paid for her sweets at the Diagon Alley branch of Honeydukes. Even though Rose was in love with Scorpius, she couldn't help but notice that Hadrian was quite the catch. He really would make the most wonderful boyfriend.

Rose and Hadrian looked away from each other once they heard someone pointedly clear their throat. Rose looked away blushing, only to be meet with the questioning stares of Albus, Lily, Mei, and Scorpius. Seeing Scorpius made Rose's blush more pronounced. She couldn't help but remember how she had told him she loved him only a week ago, and how he had broken her heart. Rose also bitterly remembered their last conversation on the train. Upon remembering that, Rose's blush turned into an angry flush.

Hadrian placed his arm around Rose's shoulder, and gave it a comforting squeeze upon seeing her discomfort. Rose had just finished telling him about her feelings for Scorpius, and his tactless rejection and hurtful comments. Hadrian couldn't for the life of him understand how Scorpius could choose someone so shallow and loose with their morals over someone as great as Rose. He was truly and utterly stumped. If Rose had loved him, he would consider himself to be the luckiest guy on the planet.

Scorpius glared upon seeing Hadrian's arm around Rose. She had told him that she loved him a week ago, but now she was with another guy? This, for a reason Scorpius didn't quite understand, made him irrationally angry. So when Rose introduced Hadrian to the rest of the group, he remained moodily silent.

"Al, Lily, Mei, Scorpius, I want you to meet my good friend Hadrian," Rose said as Hadrian shook hands with everyone but Scorpius, who refused to look in his direction. "Hadrian is the year above us. He's in Slytherin," Rose explained.

Al, Lily, and Mei all greeted Hadrian warmly. If he was friends with Rose, than he must be a good person. Scorpius on the other hand only glared, which made Hadrian cock his eyebrow in amusement.

"HA! Friend my arse!" Scorpius said moodily while glaring at the arm Hadrian still had around Rose's shoulders.

Hadrian and Rose looked at Scorpius shocked, while Lily and Mei turned towards Scorpius angrily. Albus, for his part, only shook his head disappointedly at his best friend.

"What is your problem, Scorpius?!" Rose asked angrily once she had recovered from her shock. "You don't have to be rude to Hadrian! He's my friend!"

"I thought I was your friend!" Scorpius retorted hurt and angry. "But you wouldn't know that, seeing as you haven't answered any of my letters! And now I see why! You were too busy with Hadrian!" Scorpius emphasized Hadrian's name in an out of character girlish voice that only succeeded in pissing Rose off further.

"You know exactly why I haven't responded to your letters, you prat! You hurt me! You can't just expect me to up and forget everything you said just like that!" Rose said just as hurt and angry as Scorpius. "Besides, Hadrian and I are just friends! There is nothing romantic going on between us!" Rose said as her eyes began to fill with hurt and frustrated tears.

"Well, that doesn't look to be the case from where I'm standing," Scorpius said with a sneer as he indicated to the arm Hadrian still had around Rose's shoulder.

"Why… You… You're unbelievable!" Rose finally managed. "You, you're such a MALFOY!" and with that, Rose shrugged out from under Hadrian's arm and ran upstairs towards the room she was sharing with Lily and Mei.

Mei immediately left to follow her best friend while Lily marched up to Scorpius angrily. "Nice going. Really, I honestly don't think you could have hurt her more than you already have," Lily said to Scorpius before she too went after Rose.

This left Albus, Scorpius, and Hadrian alone in the room together. Hadrian was glaring at Scorpius for hurting Rose, and Scorpius was glaring back defiantly. Albus was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. He wondered when his friendships had gotten so complicated.

"Why… She… Can you believe her? I'm unbelievable! She's the one who hooked up with some random guy right after she told me she loved me. If she really loved me, than she wouldn't have gotten together with you!" Scorpius said half crazed as he pointed towards Hadrian.

"Enough! I know we don't know each other, but I do know Rose. And I know that she really does love you, although I can't for the life of me figure out why. From what I've seen so far today, you aren't worthy of her love. She's too good for you. You're nothing but a spoiled brat who would willingly throw out years of friendship on a girl who is nothing more than an ignorant ditz!" Hadrian said thoroughly enraged on Rose's behalf. "If I were you, I'd take a good hard look in the mirror, because the only 'bad guy' in this situation is you. Stop looking for sympathy and playing the victim. It's time you looked outside yourself and considered how your actions have been affecting those around you, especially Rose. Once you've gotten your shit together, man up and apologize to Rose!" Hadrian said angrily before heading upstairs to where he suspected Rose would be.

Scorpius could do no more than gape after Hadrian left. He had never had someone talk to him that way before, ever! He was a Malfoy. People didn't put Malfoys in their place. Scorpius looked to Albus for help, but found himself on the receiving end of Albus's glare.

"Save it Scorp. I'm not going to help you out of this one. You hurt Rose, so you're going to be the one who has to fix it, if it can be fixed," Albus told Scorpius solemnly. "Hadrian is right. It's not fair what you're doing to Rose. You can't reject her and tell her you don't love her, and then accuse her of things that just aren't true. It's not her fault if you're confused and jealous. You need to figure out what it is that you want. When you figure it out, come and find us," Albus told Scorpius before he too headed upstairs.

"I'm not jealous," Scorpius said to himself as he thought about how he could fix what he had broken.

"Sure you aren't dearie," the mirror above the mantle said unconvincingly.

Now that that was all said and done, Scorpius felt like the biggest prat on the planet. He had overreacted, and treated one of his best friends like shit. He didn't know what to do, or even if he could fix what he had with Rose. All he knew was that this would be one of the worst Christmases ever.

* * *

Albus found Lily, Mei, and Hadrian all crammed into the girl's room with Rose who it seemed had stopped crying. Instead of being sad, she had become angry.

"AL! I hope you gave Scorpius a piece of your mind! Who is he to accuse me of first, not being a good friend, and second of not being serious when I told him I loved him! I thought we were best friends! I thought he knew me better than this!" Rose said as she began to pace angrily. "Well, if this is how he's going to act from now on, then maybe we shouldn't be friends at all!"

Lily nodded in agreement while Albus and Mei remained skeptical. Hadrian just remained silent, as he watched Rose's angry pacing.

"Who knew Scorpius would turn from a nice boy into an overly cocky jerk!" Lily said, angry on her cousin's behalf. "He doesn't deserve you!"

"I don't know Rose," Mei began uncertainly. "I think that you shouldn't make any rash decisions right now. You're too angry. The last thing you want to do is decide on something that you might seriously regret later."

This made Rose pause and think. Both Lily and Mei had brought up good points. If this was the person Scorpius was choosing to be, then he didn't deserve her, her friendship, or her love. But, if it was just a phase, or if Scorpius was going through a tough time that he had neglected to tell anyone like he had in first year, then Mei had a valid point. Rose didn't know what to do. She was too hurt and angry to think.

"Albus?" Rose asked questioningly. If there was one person Rose could count on to make good decisions, it was Albus.

Albus didn't answer right away. He was thinking about the question seriously and objectively. After some deliberation, he answered. "I agree with Mei Rose. Even though Scorpius hurt you, you shouldn't just give up on him just yet. I mean, look at your mum and dad. Uncle Ron was really immature when he was our age, and he was also a jerk. He hurt your mum, and even though she was really mad at him, she ultimately forgave him. And now look at them. They're happily married and in love!"

Rose snorted. "Al, just because my parents worked out, doesn't mean that Scorpius and I will work out. Maybe this was fate showing me that we're better off as friends!" Rose said as she flopped down on her bed.

"You don't know that Rosie," Albus said kindly.

"Yeah, but I do know that Scorpius doesn't love me," Rose said sadly. "Not in the way I love him anyways."

"You're still young Rose. There might be more than one 'Mr. Right' out there for you," Lily added as she glanced in Hadrian's direction.

Hadrian had been staring at Rose with a concerned expression on his face the whole time he had been up here. Lily couldn't help but notice the way Hadrian looked at her cousin. She was willing to bet all of her chocolate frog cards that Hadrian had some romantic feelings for Rose.

Before Rose could respond, she was interrupted by the loud and carrying voice of Nana Weasley. "DINNER!" she yelled up the stairs.

"Oh yay!" Albus said excitedly. "This means that the folks are home from work, and that we can start eating!" and with that, Albus Potter sprinted down the stairs, almost knocking down an extremely annoyed Nana Weasley in the process to the general humor of everyone else.

* * *

Dinner was a tense affair. It wasn't the usual laidback and warm gathering that they had had in the past. The only explanation that the adults who weren't at the train station could gather was that Rose and Scorpius weren't on speaking terms with each other.

This caused different reactions from the adults at the table. Ron was the only one who seemed somewhat pleased by the recent events while most of the other adults were glancing between Rose and Scorpius nervously. The older cousins were left to wonder what the hell had been going on since they had left Hogwarts.

"So..." Hermione began to break the awkward and tense silence that surrounded the table. "Why don't you tell me about yourself Hadrian?"

And with that, Hadrian launched into an explanation of who he was, what his interests were, and what he saw himself potentially doing once he finished Hogwarts. Hermione was paying rapt attention to him while Ron nodded approvingly in the background. This Hadrian fellow, despite him being a Slytherin, wasn't at all a bad kid. Much more suitable for his Rosie than the son of Draco Malfoy.

Conversation came to an awkward halt once again once Hadrian and Hermione had run out of things to talk about. Albus blurted out the first thing that came to his mind in order to start another conversation.

"I think there was a strange man watching us on the train platform when we got picked up," Albus quickly said.

This pronouncement was met with mixed reactions. Harry who was in mid-swallow, choked and then spit his drink out across the table into Ron's face, much to Ron's disgust and Ginny's embarrassment. Hermione whipped her head around so fast that she ended up getting Scorpius's forkful of food stuck in her bushy hair. Rose, Scorpius, Mei, and Lily all looked at Albus in shock, since he hadn't told any of them about seeing a man on the train station. The rest of the adults all looked confused.

"I'm sorry, you what?!" Harry asked his son once he was able to properly breathe again.

"I said I thought I saw a man watching our and the Malfoy family the whole time we were at the station. He was partially hidden behind one of the barriers. He watched the whole interaction between Uncle Ron and Scorp's Dad with what looked like amusement. At first I thought he was someone's Dad, but he disapparated without a kid, so now I'm thinking that that wasn't the case," Albus told his father who had a serious expression on his face.

"What did he look like?" Harry asked in all seriousness. Apparently this was more serious than he had thought.

"I'm not sure. He had on a trench coat with an upturned collar, and he was wearing a hat that covered most of his face. I couldn't really make out any definite details," Albus told his Dad apologetically.

"Hmmm," was all Harry said in reply. He was too busy making sense of what Albus had just told him.

Over the last week, the Auror office had been swarmed with people calling in to say that they felt they were being watched. Most of these were the families of former and reformed Death Eaters, although some had been from members of the Order. If what Albus and everyone else had said was true, then people were indeed being watched. This meant that the Auror office needed to step up their search for the Brotherhood before they managed to become too familiar with the habits and people they were watching.

But first, Harry was going to make sure that his family was well protected. He remembered what Draco had said when he had first informed him of the Brotherhood; that they would most likely be fighting a war of attrition, and that no one on either side would be safe.

* * *

The Christmas party at the Burrow was in full swing. Every member of the Weasley/Potter family, along with their numerous family friends, were packed into the crowded house. Rose wouldn't have it any other way.

She was sitting on the sofa with Hadrian as they compared their latest Weasley sweaters. Nana Molly had taken an extreme liking to Hadrian, and had spent the rest of Christmas Eve knitting him his very own Christmas sweater! Now all of Rose's friends had their own sweaters, and were thus made honorable members of the Weasley household.

Hadrian's sweater was the emerald green of Slytherin. The letter 'H', had likewise been stitched on in silver. Rose's sweater on the other hand matched her eyes. In the center was a lovely red rose. Rose adored her sweater. It was much nicer than the ones she had gotten in previous years which had been plain colored with the letter 'R' on them.

Rose and Hadrian's conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Scorpius, who looked like he was hiding something behind his back.

Rose looked up at him warily.

"Rose, I wanted to apologize for this last week. Really apologize this time," Scorpius said when Rose still looked wary. "What I said to you was something that you should never have had to hear, and for that I'm truly sorry. I hope that in time, you can forgive me," Scorpius finished by holding out Rose's present as a peace offering.

Rose took the present, and then began to open it. Inside the wrapping was a box from the most exclusive wizarding jewelry story, Charmed. Rose could only gape at what was inside the box. Scorpius had gotten her this beautiful gold necklace, with a beautiful ruby rose hanging from the chain. It was so beautiful, that it left Rose speechless.

"I actually picked this out a while ago, over the summer. I saw it in the store, and immediately thought of you. I hope you like it, and don't think it's too cliché or anything," Scorpius said shyly.

Rose took the necklace out and held it up for Scorpius to take. "Put this on me please," Rose asked softly.

Scorpius did as Rose asked. After he was done, Rose turned in his arm, and gave him the tightest hug he had ever received. Although surprised at first, Scorpius then returned the hug with more vigor, as he buried his head in Rose's soft and sweet smelling hair.

Rose was the first one to pull out of the hug, Scorpius noticed disappointedly. For some reason, he hadn't wanted the hug to end. Rose then stood up on her tip toes and kissed Scorpius on the cheek. This caused Scorpius to blush, although he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. Rose had kissed him on the cheek before.

"Thank you," Rose whispered in his ear. And then, she gave him the best Christmas present he could have asked for: her forgiveness.

* * *

Mei couldn't help but smile as she watched Scorpius and Rose properly talk to each other for the first time in a little over a week. Everything would turn out to be fine. Mei's musings were interrupted by the arrival of Albus, who was also looking over at Rose and Scorpius. But he didn't look as happy as she felt.

"I kind of wish she didn't forgive him so easily. She should have made him sweat it out a bit more," Albus said as he watched Scorpius join Rose and Hadrian on the sofa.

Scorpius was now talking to Hadrian. It looked like he was apologizing for everything he had said last night.

"I don't know. Sometimes love is enough to wash away the hurt," Mei replied cryptically as she glanced over at Albus.

But Albus wasn't paying attention. He was too busy studying Rose, Scorpius, and Hadrian. Mei couldn't help but sigh. She had been in love with Albus Potter since she had met him in first year. Not that Albus had noticed. He only thought of her as 'Rose's best friend.' And why would he notice? He had much prettier girls fawning all over him every day.

Mei turned to go and get another drink, but found that she couldn't move. That's odd. She turned to Albus and asked him if he knew why she wasn't able to move away.

Albus's face paled. While Mei might not know why she couldn't move, Albus most certainly did. As he looked up, his suspicions were confirmed. Magical Mistletoe had congregated above their heads while they were talking. This made Albus nervous.

Mei looked up as understanding flowed across her pretty features. But then she frowned once she saw Albus's nervousness. She mistook his nervousness for him not wanting to kiss her.

It's not that Albus didn't want to kiss her—it was that he didn't know how. Contrary to popular belief, and what some girls claimed, Albus Potter had never kissed a girl or been kissed. This would be a first for him, and that was enough to make anyone sweat.

"You don't have to kiss me if you don't want to," Mei said dejectedly as she stared at Albus's rapidly paling face.

As she turned slightly to get someone's attention to let them out from under the mistletoe, Albus suddenly grabbed her and placed his mouth over hers.

Whoa. That was the only Mei was able to think before her mind floated away to some happy place. All that she could focus on was the feel of Albus's soft lips on hers, and the way the kiss was making her feel.

All too soon the kiss ended. Mei opened her eyes to see a red-face Albus slowly back away before full on sprinting in the other direction.

This made Mei sigh sadly as tears pricked her eyes. As she slipped up the stairs by herself, she couldn't help but wonder if she was a horrible kisser, or if it was just her that Albus was running from.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

*Author's Note: Please check out lilabeanz tumblr as her designs of all of the HP characters are exactly how I picture them. I especially love how beautifully she draws Rose and Hermione.*

* * *

After the Christmas holidays passed, time seemed to fly by. Before the trio realized, it was the last week of May, and OWLS were beginning the following week. This realization had all of the 5th years panicking and attempting to study as much as they could in the small amount of time before the exams started. Tensions were high, and everyone was stressed, especially Rose Weasley.

Rose had spent all of her waking moments when she wasn't in class in the library since term had resumed in January after the holidays. She would spend all of her moments with her nose in a book while reviewing notes and spells that she had studiously written down in class. Often times, she would be so frazzled that she would forget to eat and perform basic humanly functions such as brushing her hair.

This was met with amusement from Albus, Hadrian, and Scorpius. This had caused the latter to compare her hair to a "bee hive on fire." While Albus and Hadrian appeared amused by that less than complementary comparison, Rose was livid. How dare he make fun of her hair! She needed to revise for the OWLs! She had more important things to worry about than her hair! What happened next wiped the look of mirth off of Scorpius' face.

"Oppugno!" Rose screamed while pointing her want at Scorpius's laughing face.

All of a sudden, a flock of canaries flew out of her wand and started to peck every inch of available skin they could get. While Scorpius was shrieking and attempting to rid himself of the birds, Rose just smirked. It served him right after all.

"Ouch! Ow, get them off me! ROSE!" Scorpius yelled as he was being mercilessly attacked. "Call them off!"

"Now why would I do that?" Rose asked sweetly. "After all, you deserve it."

"Ok, I'm sorry! Just please call them off!" Scorpius pleaded.

Rose just rolled her eyes. "Are you a wizard or what? Just use your wand and vanish them!" Rose said before turning and walking away. She had already wasted too much time. She should have been at the library ten minutes ago! Now she was behind schedule. Stupid Scorpius.

Scorpius just stared blankly after Rose's retreating figure before remembering what she had told him. With a last vicious look at the canaries, Scorpius vanished them. "What's her problem? I was just joking. Usually she's fine and gives them right back! Why'd she go berserk this time?" Scorpius questioned as he looked at Albus and Hadrian for answers.

"Mate, it's the week before exams. You know how Rose is like," Albus said. Hadrian just nodded his agreement.

"She could loosen up a little…" Scorpius mumbled as he examined the damage the birds had done.

Albus snorted. "Try telling that to Rose!"

Scorpius looked up incredulously. "And risk being attacked again? No thanks."

Before the boys could say anything else, they were interrupted by the arrival of Scorpius's annoying girlfriend Melissa.

"Scooorrrrrpy!" she squealed as she threw herself at Scorpius.

Albus and Hadrian exchanged looks. They didn't understand why Scorpius put up with her. She wasn't even that attractive: personality or look-wise. Although, to give Scorpius credit, Melissa did act differently around him than she did around everyone else. Scorpius never did see Melissa's less than stellar side.

"Hi," Scorpius said a bit uncomfortably. He wasn't one for PDA, and Melissa was currently wrapped around him like a snake.

"Oh, Scorpy! I was looking everywhere for you!" Melissa said while batting her lashes. "But! What happened to you? Why are you covered in marks?!" she asked with an exaggerated gasp.

"It's nothing. Rose and I just had a minor disagreement. She used one of her spells that cast birds at me," Scorpius said.

"WHAT?! How dare that bitch hurt my Scorpy! That's it! I don't want you hanging around her anymore! She's obviously no good!" Melissa said as she flipped her hair back angrily.

Albus and Hadrian opened their mouth to defend Rose. While they respected Scorpius's right to have an annoying and sometimes mean girlfriend, they drew the line when said girlfriend called their cousin/friend a bitch.

But Scorpius beat them to it. "Rose is my best friend. I don't want to hear you say something like that ever again. Do you understand?" Scorpius asked in a dangerously low voice.

Melissa just looked stunned. Scorpius had never talked to her that way before! It was all that bitch Rose's fault. She would get her!

Before Melissa could defend herself, Scorpius continued. "And I'm not going to stop hanging out with her. I know you and Rose don't see eye to eye, but for my sake you could at least try and get along. Rose doesn't say anything bad about you!" Scorpius said as he looked at his girlfriend with distaste.

Melissa blushed and internally grimaced. Damn Rose for making her look bad in front of Scorpius. "You're right. That was rude of me. I was just so upset about you being hurt that it just slipped out!" Melissa said in the most innocent and convincing voice she could muster.

It must have been convincing, for Scorpius just nodded at her. Melissa knew that she had a lot of sucking up to do before she was back in Scorpius's good graces, but at least he had forgiven her. As she hugged Scorpius, Melissa couldn't help but smirk. She would get back at Rose, in a way that would hurt her the most.

* * *

Rose was heading down to lunch two days before exams. Why was she even getting lunch? She should be studying! Rose turned around and headed towards the library when she heard crying coming from the girls bathroom. It wasn't just any bathroom either; it was Myrtle's. But the person crying didn't sound like Myrtle, so Rose decided to investigate. She was a prefect after all, and it was her duty to make sure everyone was ok.

Rose pushed open the bathroom door as quietly as she could. Rose gasped once she saw who was crying. Mei was standing in front of one of the sinks bawling her eyes out while Myrtle was making funny faces behind her.

Rose rushed over to Mei's side and enveloped her in a tight hug. Mei stiffened at first, but then relaxed when she realized it was just Rose.

"Mei! Are you all right?" Rose asked worriedly. She tried to think of why Mei could be crying. Now that she thought of it, she had only seen Mei at mealtimes and in classes. She was never around during free time, which was a red flag in itself. Rose mentally cursed herself. If she hadn't been so absorbed with studying, she would have realized that something was wrong sooner.

"He… he hates me! Rose, I love him and he hates me!" Mei wailed as she started sobbing even louder.

Rose was stumped. Who did Mei love? The only person that Mei had ever liked was Albus… ALBUS! If he did something…

"Mei, are you talking about Albus?" Rose questioned.

"Yes! We kissed at the Christmas party under the mistletoe!" Mei said as she looked at Rose through tear stained eyes. "It was wonderful! It was the best moment of my life! But after it was over he ran away, and he's been avoiding me ever since!" Mei said as fresh tears sprang up in her eyes.

Rose was going to KILL Albus. She knew Albus liked Mei. It was obvious in the way he would look at her and blush whenever she was near. But Rose hadn't known that they had kissed! But, now that she thought about it, Albus's interest in Mei did seem to start after the holidays…

"Mei…" Rose began soothingly. "I'm sure that Albus doesn't hate you…"

"But he ran away! Who runs away after they kiss someone!" Mei said hysterically. "Oh no… Maybe I'm just a bad kisser!"

"I'm sure that's not true Mei! Albus probably ran away because he was embarrassed and didn't know what to do! You were his first kiss!" Rose said as she tried to get Mei to stop hiding behind her hands.

That got the desired effect. Mei looked up and gasped. "I was his first kiss? But… I've heard other girls say that they've kissed him!" Mei said confused.

Rose just snorted. "Those girls were lying. Trust me. Albus and I talk about everything. And he said that he'd never kissed a girl. He was waiting for the right one," Rose said as she put emphasis on the words 'right one.'

This caused Mei to let out a little smile. This made Rose smile. She hated seeing her friends upset.

"So you think I might be the right one then?" Mei asked tentatively.

"I think you might! Albus wouldn't have kissed you unless he thought you were someone special. He could've gotten someone to free you from the mistletoe, but he didn't!" Rose said brightly.

"I guess I've been a bit ridiculous…" Mei said sheepishly. "I could've tried harder to talk to Albus, instead of just jumping to conclusions."

"That's the spirit!" Rose said. "Now why don't we get you cleaned up! I wouldn't be a proper friend if I let you leave with your face looking like that!" Rose joked.

"I could say the same about your hair!" Mei joked. "Seriously Rose! Have you not brushed your hair in a month?!"

Rose blushed. She probably hadn't brushed her hair in a month, but it was the month before OWLs! Rose said as much as she tried to defend herself.

Mei just burst out laughing. When she regained herself she said, "Well at least you're wearing the clothes we got you!"

And with that, the two friends left the bathroom arm in arm, laughing and making jokes at each other's expense. For the first time in months, the OWLs were the last thing on Rose's mind.

* * *

"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER!" an annoyed Rose Weasley said as she stormed across the grounds to the tree that Albus, Scorpius, and Hadrian were studying under. "YOU'VE GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!"

Albus gulped and then shared glances with the other guys. What had he done?! "Er, Rose! Why are you yelling? What did I do?!" Al asked somewhat panicky as he held up his arms in defense. He didn't want to be on the wrong side of Rose's wrath. At least not after what had happened to Scorpius…

"It's more like what you haven't done!" Rose said as she glared at Albus and crossed her arms.

Albus was totally confused. And he told Rose that much.

Rose rolled her eyes. Boys could be so thick sometimes! "Does the name Mei Corner ring any bells?" Rose asked as she raised an eyebrow.

Albus blushed. "Well, erm, you see…" Albus stammered.

"How could you not tell me Albus! We tell each other everything!" Rose exclaimed.

Scorpius and Hadrian watched the conversation, but found that they couldn't follow. "Ermm, what are you talking about Rose?" Scorpius asked.

"I'm talking about how Albus kissed Mei over the holidays! And how now he fancies her!" Rose said. "Oh, and we can't forget about how she said you've been ignoring her ever since," Rose said the last part crossly.

"What! I haven't been ignoring her! She's been ignoring me!" Albus said.

"Really? Because she thinks that YOU are the one ignoring her!" Rose said.

"Oh…" Albus said as he got a far off look in his eyes. "I'll just have to fix that!" he said as he stood up and started heading towards the castle.

Rose watched Albus leave with a smile on her face. It looked like both Mei and Albus would get their happy ending after all.

"Uh, Rose?" Scorpius began questioningly. "Not to bother you or anything, but we still don't know what you're talking about," Scorpius said confused.

Rose just sighed and sat down between the two boys outside of her family that she cared the most for and started to explain about Mei and Albus.

* * *

"Hey! What did you guys get for 30a?" Rose asked anxiously as she left the final exam room with Scorpius, Mei, and Albus. "It was the one about Patronuses. I'm not sure I explained their form right!"

"Rose relax!" Albus said. "You're the only one in our year who can produce a Patronus! Even if you got that answer wrong, which I'm sure you didn't, you still got extra credit for producing the Patronus on the practical!"

Mei nodded in agreement from her place next to Albus. After Rose had confronted him, Albus had gone to find Mei and clear up the misunderstandings between them. Their conversation must have gone well, for they were holding hands.

"Seriously Rose! Our exams are over! Don't stress about them again until you get your grades!" Scorpius chided.

Rose was about to respond, but was cut off by the arrival of Hadrian. "Hey guys! Congrats on finishing your exams!"

"Thanks man!" Scorp said as he clapped Hadrian on the shoulder.

The five of them headed towards the Great Hall for their last dinner before term officially ended.

Rose was about to go in when Hadrian tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey Rose, can I talk to you for a minute?" Hadrian asked nervously.

"Sure!" Rose responded as she followed him to an adjacent hallway. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well… I guess I just wanted to tell you that I think you're great, and I really like you!" Hadrian said as he looked Rose in the eye.

"I really like you too Hadrian! You've been a great friend." Rose said smiling.

"Thanks Rose," Hadrian said with a chuckle. "But I meant that I like you more than a friend. I'd like to go out with you, if you'll have me," Hadrian said.

Rose was speechless. Was Hadrian asking her out?! She hadn't seen this coming. Hadrian was a great guy and a great friend, but did she have feelings other than friendly affections towards him? Rose wasn't sure…

"Look, I know you told me that you love Scorpius, but he's still with Melissa. I'm not asking you to declare your love for me or anything. I guess I just want a chance! If you absolutely hate being with me, we can go back to being friends! No hard feelings!" Hadrian said once Rose didn't respond.

Rose thought about what he said. She did still love Scorpius, but Hadrian was right. He still was with Melissa… He had never given any signs that he wanted to be more than friends, so her love was one-sided. Besides, Hadrian was so nice and cute! Oh what the heck. Hadrian did deserve a chance. And maybe she would grow to love him!

"Hadrian, I'd love to go out with you!" Rose said sincerely.

Hadrian's face split into a wide grin. "Thank God! I've liked you since the beginning of the year!" he said laughing.

This caused Rose to laugh. "Should we tell everyone?" Rose asked.

"Nah, I think we should keep it between us for a bit," Hadrian asked truthfully.

"Ok!" Rose said happily.

As she and Hadrian walked into the Great Hall, Rose couldn't help but smile. She couldn't think of a better way to end her year!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: The best part about going back through your old work and revising is that it's almost as if you're reading someone else's work. I forgot half of what I had written the first time.

* * *

It was the week before fall term started, and Rose couldn't be happier. She was on her way to Malfoy Manor with her cousin Albus, her best friend Mei, and Hadrian, her boyfriend of three months. This was the first time that the group was seeing their mutual best friend Scorpius since the term had ended.

Apparently Draco and Astoria had decided that the Malfoy family would be going on an exclusive, "All-Wizarding Around the World" cruise that would last basically all of the summer holidays. The cruise was old-fashioned, in that all outside contact, including letters, was forbidden. So Rose and her friends hadn't heard from Scorpius all summer, and vice versa, and they needed to do some serious catching up.

"It was so nice of the Malfoy's to invite us to stay at their place for the rest of summer!" Rose said excitedly. The last time she had been to Scorpius's house was during her second year.

"I know! I can't wait to see Scorp!" Albus said with a grin.

After walking through the gate and the front gardens, they arrived at an impressive set of double doors. Before anyone could knock, they were flung open by an excited Scorpius who launched himself at all of them.

"Thank God you're here! I was going crazy all summer, with just my parents and no outside contact!" Scorpius said rather dramatically.

This caused Rose to giggle. It was such typical Scorpius behavior. "How was your summer?" Rose asked him once hugs had been exchanged.

"It was good, but let's go inside first!" Scorpius said as he led the way through the maze of hallways towards his room. "Alright, girls, you'll be staying in these two rooms, and you two guys will be right next to my room," Scorpius said as he gestured to the respective rooms.

After everyone had settled into their rooms, they met in Scorpius's bedroom to go over how their summers had been. Scorpius explained how although he liked the cruise and being with his parents, it could be kind of lonesome with no other people his age. It had either been elderly couples, or wizarding families with younger children.

When it was their turn to explain how their summers had been, Albus acted as spokesperson for the lot. The four of them had hung out together all summer, going to movies, the beach, and just hanging out in general. They were best friends, but they were also new couples. They took the summer as a trial time to see how they would work together.

When Albus got to the part about them all being couples, Scorpius held up his hand to stop him. "Whoa buddy. What do you mean by new couples? I know you and Mei got together at the end of last year, but who else are you talking about?" Scorpius asked genuinely puzzled.

"He's talking about me and Hadrian," Rose said as Hadrian slipped his arm around Rose's waist and gave it a comforting squeeze. "We also got together at the end of last year, we just didn't tell everyone right away. I wanted to tell you Scorpius, but I couldn't because of the stupid cruise rules," Rose explained.

Many emotions crossed Scorpius's face while Rose was talking, among which were confusion, disappointment, and a hint of jealousy. Scorpius didn't know what to think. Hearing that Rose and Hadrian were together was a bit of a surprise. It's not that he thought Rose wasn't pretty or datable, it was just that he had never really given it more than a fleeting thought. But now, Rose had a boyfriend, and he really didn't know how he felt about it.

"Uh, Scorp? You there buddy?" Albus asked as he waved his hand in front of Scorpius's face.

"Uh, huh?" Scorpius asked a bit confused. He had sort of spaced out of the conversation. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I didn't say anything mate!" Albus said. "But Rose asked if you were mad at her because you were scowling and not saying anything."

Scorpius refocused on Rose, who had a nervous look etched across her pretty face. Scorpius smiled reassuringly at her. "Sorry Rose. I'm not mad. You just caught me by surprise! I was just thinking was all," Scorpius said appealingly.

Rose breathed an audible sigh of release, and went over to hug Scorpius. "Thank you for understanding and not getting mad," she said as she leaned into his chest.

Scorpius hugged her back, tightly. Merlin he had missed her! He just didn't realize how much until Rose had wrapped her arms around him. Scorpius inhaled and was met with the smell of raspberries and tulips.

Rose pulled away all too soon in Scorpius's opinion. Since it was late in the day, and they all needed to get to bed. He scowled again as he watched Hadrian wrap his arm around her as they exited his room. He wanted to be the one to have his arm around her! Wait—where did that thought come from?

Scorpius shook his head in bewilderment as he began to get ready for bed. He didn't have feelings for Rose, did he? No, they must just be best friend feelings. Any best friend wouldn't want his best girl friend to be going out with some other guy. Scorpius nodded to himself as he attempted to rationalize the strange feelings and thoughts that were suddenly assaulting him as he attempted to sleep.

* * *

Scorpius was woken up when someone unceremoniously belly flopped onto him. Scorpius flailed his arms at his attacker and prepared to scream. Before he could, a small hand was stuffed into his mouth.

Choking, Scorpius's eyes snapped open only to look into the beautiful eyes of one Rose Nymphadora Weasley, who, unlike him was fully clothed and ready for the day.

"Shit Rose!" Scorpius said as he yanked his blankets up to his chest. This caused Rose to tumble off his bed and land in an adorable heap on the floor. Scorpius didn't know why, but having Rose on top of him suddenly took on a whole new meaning. It wasn't just a funny way to wake him up anymore. And besides, Rose had woken him up from a very vivid and erotic dream that had actually involved her. Scorpius didn't want her to feel the evidence of that dream as he was embarrassed enough for having dreamt of her instead of his girlfriend in the first place.

"Ow, Scorpius!" Rose said as she sat up and rubbed the back of her head. "Could you have been more gentle? That bloody hurt!"

Scorpius tried to speak, but found that he couldn't. Scorpius cleared his throat before saying, "I don't think you should wake me up like that anymore."

"Why?" Rose asked puzzled. "I've woken you up like that since the second year! It's the only way I can get you and Albus up half the time!"

"Yea, but now you have a boyfriend!" Scorpius said.

"Oh Scorpius," Rose said. "This doesn't mean anything! I know I told you that I love you, but I've decided to give up and move on! I'm with Hadrian now!" Rose explained. Well, it was mostly true anyways. She was with Hadrian, and she did genuinely like him a lot (she could easily see herself falling in love with him eventually), but at the same time part of her still loved Scorpius. She doubted if that part of her would ever stop loving him.

Scorpius managed a weak attempt at a smile. He figured it was actually more of a grimace. Scorpius couldn't help but feel a pang of longing and regret pass through him as Rose said that she was giving up and moving on. It was unsettling to say the least.

Rose sighed and stood up. "Well, you're up now… I should go and wake Hadrian as Mei and Albus are already up and getting ready," she said as she left his room.

Scorpius just flopped back down on his bed. As he rubbed his hands over his eyes, he couldn't help but wonder just what the hell was happening to him.

* * *

Before they knew it, school had arrived. After saying goodbye to the Malfoys, they all boarded the train. Hadrian had been made Head Boy. Rose couldn't be happier for him. He was truly a good guy, and if any 7th year deserved it, it was Hadrian. The Head Girl's name was Betty Meyers, a nice girl from Hufflepuff.

Rose, Scorpius, and Hadrian separated from Albus and Mei as they all walked to the prefect cart for the meeting, where both the Head Boy and Head Girl went over the rounds and details of each prefect's job.

After the meeting, the trio went back to their compartment where Albus and Mei were interlocked in a furious snog. Hadrian cleared his throat pointedly, and Albus and Mei sprung apart with identical blushes.

"Hey guys! Didn't realize you'd be back so soon!" Albus said with a nervous chuckle.

Before anyone could say anything, they were interrupted by the arrival of an irate Melissa. "Scorpy! How dare you not say hi to me the moment you got back!" Melissa said accusingly.

Sensing the oncoming tantrum, Rose and Hadrian made their escape into the compartment. Better to be as far away as possible because Melissa tended to get loud when she was mad.

"Melissa, I sent you a letter explaining that I would be spending the week catching up with my friends, and that we could sit together at the feast tonight," Scorpius said in an impressively calm manner.

"So! I'm your GIRLFRIEND. You should have wanted to see me before you saw HER!" Melissa said as she pointed accusingly at Rose.

"Melissa, I didn't just see Rose. I saw Mei, Albus, and Hadrian too! And please stop yelling and making untrue accusations. You're just embarrassing yourself," Scorpius said wearily.

Melissa's mouth dropped open in surprise. Embarrassing herself! What nerve! He should be begging for forgiveness for wronging her, not accusing her of being an embarrassment!

"Let's talk later, when you've calmed down a bit," Scorpius said as he planted a kiss on her cheek before he went into his compartment and closed the door.

Melissa just stood there stunned. This was all her fault! Rose Weasley. She had changed herself so that Scorpius would notice her, and it was working! Scorpius seemed to be glancing her way more and more. Melissa had noticed this last year too, even if Scorpius hadn't realized it himself. Rose Weasley would pay, and Melissa would use both Scorpius, and Hadrian (Rose's rumored boyfriend) to get her way.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose and Mei were walking to the library to get an early start on their homework for Christmas break when they crashed into an out-of-breath Lily Potter.

"There you guys are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Lily managed between pants.

"What's up Lils?" Rose asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Tomorrow is the last Hogsmeade trip before the Christmas holidays! We have to go tomorrow! I haven't bought anyone any presents!" Lily exclaimed.

Rose and Mei exchanged glances. Although she was extremely smart, Lily tended to procrastinate a lot. This was sometimes reflected in her grades, which Rose found sad. Lily had so much potential, but sometimes her laziness would get the best of her.

"Lily, we already finished our Christmas shopping a while ago," Mei replied calmly.

At this, Lily groaned and placed her head in her hands. "Why did I wait so long to shop! Everyone I've talked to has already gone, and I don't want to go alone!" Lily said while giving the girls her infamous puppy dog gaze.

Rose sighed. Lily usually got her way, since she was the youngest female in the family. "Alright Lily, we'll go with you," Lily started cheering. "But, this means that you're actually going to buy presents. We're not going on a long shopping trip," Rose chided.

"Oh, you two are the best!" Lily squealed as she wrapped her arms around both girls. "Oh, where are you guys going?"

"To the library! Rose and I wanted to get a head start on all of our homework so we don't have to do any over break!" Mei said.

Lily looked at the girls incredulously. "You're doing homework? On a Friday night? And not just any Friday night, the night before break officially begins?!" Lily asked as if the notion of doing homework was highly offensive.

"Yes," Rose replied.

Lily just looked at them. Once she realized they were being serious, she sighed and shook her red hair from her face. "Rose, you know I love you, but sometimes I find it hard to believe that we're related!" and with that, Lily ran up the hall towards the Gryffindor dorms.

Rose just shook her head and smiled. Lily could be such the little drama queen.

* * *

The next day was cold but sunny, and the snow on the ground seemed to sparkle. Hogwarts at Christmas was truly magical. The girls all waved to Hagrid and Fang as they trudged down the drive towards Hogsmeade.

"Thanks again for coming with me!" Lily said as she twirled around in the snow. "What did you guys get everyone for Christmas?"

"I got Hadrian a new book. It's _Defensive Magic Against the Darkest of Arts_ by Angelina Gowhard. Hadrian wants to be an Auror after graduating this year. He's already talked to Dad and Uncle Harry about it," Rose said.

"I got Albus a monogrammed pair of dragon hide Quidditch googles," Mei said.

"Oh, I wish I had a boyfriend!" Lily said as Rose and Mei told her what they had gotten their respective beaus. "But Lysander still doesn't see me as anything but a friend! And I've even gotten contacts!" Lily said as she pointed to her glasses-less eyes for emphasis.

Rose and Mei exchanged looks. While Lily was strong and confident in most aspects of life, she wasn't that confident when it came to boys.

"Lily, I know that you really like Lysander, but maybe you should go out with some other boys. You know, just to see if you might be interested in someone else. I mean, I was in love with Scorpius, but when he said he didn't love me, and Hadrian asked me out… Well, let's just say that I have strong feelings for Hadrian too! So maybe there is someone else out there for you too!" Rose said.

Lily looked at Rose contemplatively. "So you're telling me that you have no more feelings for Scorpius whatsoever?"

Rose blushed. Darn Weasley genes! "I, uh, I mean… Look, I really really like Hadrian. I don't know if I love him yet, but I do know that I feel strongly about him. And as for Scorpius, a part of me still does love him. And I think that that part will always be a part of me," Rose finished somewhat sadly.

"Rose, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Mei said comfortingly. "It's normal to have feelings for more than one guy, as long as you don't act on those feelings. Besides, a big part of you also likes Hadrian! You're smart and compassionate. You wouldn't do anything to jeopardize your relationship."

Rose just smiled weakly. "So I'm not a bad person for still having feelings for Scorpius while I'm dating Hadrian?" Rose asked.

"No!" Lily exclaimed. "Like Mei said, you also like Hadrian! And you'd never act on your feelings with Scorpius while with someone else. Besides, you can't be perfect! This just means that you're human!"

"Thanks guys," Rose said sincerely as the trio reached the first shops. "So where do you want to go Lils?"

"Honeydukes!" Lily replied as she dragged the girls into the crowded store.

* * *

Hadrian was in the library writing an essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts when he was interrupted by a slight cough. Hadrian looked up and smiled.

"Rose! What are you doing here? I thought you were going to Hogsmeade with Lily and Mei!" Hadrian said surprised but happy to see her.

"Oh, I changed my mind! It was too cold," Rose said as she shivered against an invisible breeze.

"Oh, well, I'm just finishing my essay here, but we could hang out as soon as I'm done!" Hadrian said as he went back to writing.

"Perfect," Rose said.

Hadrian smiled as he hurried to finish his essay. What he missed was the evil grin that stretched across Rose's face.

* * *

"Lily! Are we done yet?!" Rose asked as they were leaving what felt like the umpteenth store.

"Uh, almost! Why don't you guys go ahead to the Three Broomsticks! I, uh, just have to run one more errand!" Lily said as she pushed Rose and Mei out the door.

"Why did she do that?" Mei asked puzzled as they started towards the Three Broomsticks.

Rose just laughed. "That was Lily code for 'I need to buy your presents so leave now!'" Rose said as she stepped into the Three Broomsticks.

* * *

"Al!" Scorpius said suddenly as he held up his arm to halt Albus in his steps.

"What Scorp?" Albus asked irritably since he had to stop awkwardly on the steps down from the Owlery.

"Shhh!" Scorpius said while making shushing motions at Albus. "Look, it's Hadrian! And he's with Rose!"

"So?" Albus said as he attempted to step around Scorpius's arm. "Let's go say hi!"

"No!" Scorpius said as he once again blocked Albus. "That can't be Rose. I saw her leaving with Lily and Mei this morning. She said she was going to help Lily shop for presents. They can't have gotten back yet!" Scorpius said while studying Rose and Hadrian as they walked past where they were hidden.

"Rose, where are we going?" Hadrian asked as he laughed.

"In here! I was thinking about giving you an early Christmas present!" Rose said with a wink.

"You're present is a broom closet?" Hadrian asked amused.

"No silly! It's what'll happen inside that'll be your present!" Rose said with a giggle.

Albus lowered his eyes dangerously as Hadrian and Rose disappeared inside the closet.

"Scorp, we have to do something! That's my cousin in there!" Albus said half worried and half grossed out.

"I'm not so sure. I don't want to bust them in case it is really Rose, but something is telling me that's not really her…" Scorpius said. "Ugh, I wish there was a way we could know for sure!"

Albus's eyes suddenly grew wide. "There is a way. C'mon!" Albus said as he dragged Scorpius back to Ravenclaw tower.

* * *

Rose and Mei were sitting down sipping their butterbeers when Lily finally arrived. The only reason they could tell that it was Lily was through the traditional Weasley red hair that could just be seen over her mounds of bags.

"I am never waiting this long to do my shopping ever again! It's absolute madness!" Lily exclaimed as she plopped down in the seat across from them.

"Well, at least you learned your lesson!" Rose teased.

Lily's glare was cut off by the arrival of Brent Andrews, a fifth year Ravenclaw.

"Hi, Lily. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?" Brent asked nervously.

"Ahh, sure!" Lily said as she followed Brent to a quieter corner.

Rose turned to Mei. "Do you think he's going to ask her out?"

"I think so!" Mei replied. "Brent is really nice, and he's cute! I think that Lily would enjoy going on a date with him!"

"But does she like him?" Rose asked. "I thought she only liked Lysander?"

"Well…" Mei began.

"Well what?" Rose asked.

"A few weeks ago when you were off with Hadrian, Lily came to me to tell me that she thought she might like two boys. One was obviously Lysander, but the other one she only described to me. And now that I think of it, that boy she describes could be Brent's twin!" Mei said excitedly as they turned to watch the scene unfold.

Brent seemed to ask Lily something, which caused Lily to blush a furious red. But then she answered Brent in an almost shy manor. Her answer caused Brent to blush but smile at the same time. And then after smiling awkwardly at each other Brent headed back towards his friends as Lily walked back towards the girls.

"Well?" Rose asked as Lily came back.

"Well, he ah, he asked me out," Lily said as she blushed again. "And I said yes!"

* * *

"Albus, why are we back in our dorm?" Scorpius asked in confusion.

"Because of this!" Albus said triumphantly as he finally found what he was looking for. It was a blank piece of paper.

"Al, are you daft? How will a blank piece of paper help us?" Scorpius asked incredulously.

"This isn't just any paper!" Albus said offended. "It's the Maurader's Map!" When Scorpius only continued to look confused, Albus decided to explain in more detail. And the best way to explain the map was to show it. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," Albus said to the map.

Scorpius's eyes grew wide with amazement as what looked to be a map of the entire school unfolded on the previously blank piece of paper. "Whoa!"

"You've got that right!" Albus said somewhat smugly. "Now that James's gone, the map belongs to me! It shows you the whereabouts of everyone in the school! Now let's see…" Albus said as he searched the map.

All of a sudden Albus's face paled. And he brought the map closer to see if what he was seeing was correct.

"Well?" Scorpius asked somewhat impatiently.

"Uh, you know what? I think I can take care of this myself! It is my cousin after all!" Albus said as he attempted to duck around Scorpius.

But Scorpius was too fast. He had known Albus too long, and knew when Albus lied. And unfortunately for Albus, he sucked at lying. So Scorpius knew that Albus was lying to him, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. He cared about Rose too!

"Al, wait, you're not leaving without me!" Scorpius said as he grabbed Albus by the back of the neck.

"Oh yes I am!" Albus said as he attempted to twist out of Scorpius's grasp.

Now Scorpius was just plain annoyed. "Sorry to do this mate, but your stubbornness has given me no choice. Petificus Totalis!"

Albus's legs snapped together as he face planted on the floor. Scorpius hurried to turn him over only to meet the glaring eyes of Albus Severus Potter. Scorpius knew he was in trouble, but he was more interested in seeing for himself what was on the map that had made Albus lie.

Scorpius didn't have to search far, but what he saw made his heart stop. Then, a rage like he had never known came alive in his chest. The map that never lied showed that Hadrian was currently in the broom closet with no other than his girlfriend, Melissa. Or, ex-girlfriend, Scorpius thought furiously as he dropped the map on Albus's frozen face and rushed out the door.

* * *

"Wow, Rose! That was amazing!" Hadrian said smiling as they were pulling on their clothes. "You're truly one of a kind! But what made you change your mind? We'd talked about having sex, but I thought that you wanted to wait? So, what changed your mind?"

"Uh… I guess that I just really wanted to show you how much I love you!" Rose said as she finished pulling her sweatshirt over her head.

Before Hadrian could respond, the door was swung open with a bang. After recovering from their initial fright, Hadrian and Rose looked to see who had opened the door. Illuminated in the door was an extremely pissed off Scorpius Malfoy. Hadrian couldn't help but notice that all of his ire was aimed at the steadily paling Rose.

Without thinking, Hadrian placed himself between Rose and the fuming Scorpius. "Scorp, what's wrong with you? Calm down!" Hadrian said as he tried to appease Scorpius. "You're scaring Rose!"

"That's not Rose," Scorpius said dangerously.

"What are you talking about?" Hadrian asked confused.

"I don't know. Why don't you tell him, Melissa," Scorpius said with the signature Malfoy sneer.

"What?" Hadrian asked as he turned around. Instead of seeing Rose, he was greeted by the sight of a half-transformed Melissa. "What the fuck?!" Hadrian asked as he leaped back in shock. "Oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck! No, this did not just happen!" Hadrian said as he sank down to the floor.

Scorpius took Hadrian's retreat as his opportunity to strike. While Hadrian was elsewise occupied trying to figure out what in the hell had just happened, Scorpius had marched up to Melissa and had pinned her to the wall of the closet.

"Scorpius, I can explain. Please!" Melissa said as the last effects of the Polyjuice Potion ran out. "You're hurting me!" Melissa cried out as Scorpius only tightened his arm.

But Scorpius was beyond caring at this point. All he could focus on was the fact that someone he trusted and cared about, turned out to be the bitch that everyone else had said she was. Since she was his girlfriend, Scorpius was inclined to believe the best of her. But not anymore. She had gone too far. Not only had she hurt him, she had hurt Rose, one of the few people he genuinely cared about and who cared about him.

"What the fuck did you do you bitch?" Scorpius asked through clamped teeth.

"Scorpius! Mate, put her down! It's not worth it," Albus said as he had finally caught up after the spell had worn off.

"Back off Potter. This doesn't concern you," Scorpius growled without taking his eyes off Melissa's face.

"I think that you'll find that it does, Malfoy." Albus retorted just as angry. "I care about Rose too! She's my cousin! As much as I want her to pay, hurting her will just get you into trouble!" Albus said as he tried to reason with Scorpius.

Scorpius closed his eyes and took several deep and calming breaths. After he had gained some semblance of control, he slowly let go of Melissa, who took her opportunity to hide behind Albus.

"Just because I said he couldn't hurt you doesn't mean you're off the hook!" Albus said as he turned to Melissa.

Melissa just hung her head. Her plan was perfect, but somehow they had found out! Where did she go wrong?

"Scorpius, I did this for you, for us! I thought it would make our relationship stronger!" Melissa said as she appealed to Scorpius.

But Scorpius had learned his lesson. Melissa couldn't fool him anymore. "And pray tell how cheating on me while pretending to be Rose would 'strengthen our relationship?'" Scorpius asked with a derisive snort.

"I just wanted you to pay more attention to me! All you talk about is Rose! You're always with her! I tried reasoning with you before remember? I told you that you should have paid more attention to me! But you didn't listen. I had to do something!" Melissa said.

"Well, I am paying attention to you now. And, now it's my turn to do something," Scorpius said as he glared at Melissa. "We're through. Over. Done. I never want to see your face again. If you so much as come near me, Rose, or any of my other friends, I will personally make sure you regret it with every fiber of your being. I'm a Malfoy dear. Don't think for a moment you could get away with this," Scorpius said meaning every word.

Melissa was just shocked. She had never been dumped before!

"I don't think you heard him, Melissa, but you're no longer welcome here," Albus said as he came to stand behind Scorpius.

Melissa started to sob as she thought about how unfair this all was. Then she turned to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing," Scorpius said in a sickly sweet voice. "Not a word of this to anyone. Remember, I have connections," Scorpius said with a wink.

That just made Melissa cry even harder. But one thing was for sure, she didn't want to make Scorpius any madder. So, she would keep her silence. She would just tell everyone that she had broken up with Scorpius because he was bad in bed.

After Melissa left, Albus turned to Scorpius questioningly. "We're not going to tell Rose?" Albus asked.

Scorpius just shook his head and looked down at Hadrian who looked absolutely miserable. "Hey, it's not your fault. Melissa used Polyjuice Potion," Scorpius said kindly.

"I should have known. How can I even look at Rose now knowing that I slept with Melissa?" Hadrian asked sadly.

"In your defense, you did think that Melissa was Rose…" Scorpius said unconvincingly.

Albus just stayed silent. He didn't know whether he should be mad at Hadrian or not. On one hand, Melissa was the one who had tricked him, but still, he slept with another girl! And, as the trio left the privacy of the broom closet, Albus couldn't help but think that they would all seriously regret not telling Rose about what had happened today.

* * *

Hmmm, I wonder how Rose will react when she finds out what happened. We already have an end to Scorpius/Melissa (it's about bloody time!), but will this be the end of Rose/Hadrian?

Stay tuned! ;)


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose loved Christmas. Everything about it was truly wonderful! The delightful smell of Christmas cookies baking in the oven, the sight of all of the Christmas decorations, and Rose's new favorite, the Gnome Fashion show! After Fred and James had seen one of the gnomes being used as an ugly angel for the Christmas tree, they decided that it would be a riot to dress up more gnomes in equally horrendous outfits. After they had succeeded in catching the gnomes, which took a whole day since they apparently did not want to be caught, Fred and James had stuffed them into the outfits that Lily had so skillfully made.

After the initial struggle, the gnomes seemed to realize that they were wearing clothes. Instead of trying to get out of them, the gnomes had begun to walk around the house while showing anyone they encountered their new outfits. And thus, the Gnome Fashion show was created. There were two kids to a gnome. The pair that had made the best outfit for the fashion show, which was judged by the adults, were given a free box full of WWW merchandise. Rose had never won before, but she was determined to win this year.

"No Al, Fred and James used the underwater theme last year! We can't dress our gnome up as a mermaid because Fred and James will just accuse us of copying them!" Rose said with growing frustration. Who knew it could be so bloody hard designing outfits?!

"Oh yea…" Albus said distractedly.

Rose looked at Albus through narrowed eyes. Albus had been acting weird ever since the start of break, and Rose was determined to figure out why. "Knut for your thoughts?" Rose asked Albus.

Albus seemed to start. "Sorry Rose. Did you say something? I guess my mind has been elsewhere lately," Albus said apologetically.

"I just want to know what you're thinking. You've been… off… since the start of break…" Rose said.

Albus attempted to smile, but it ended giving him a look of immense constipation. "Off? HA! You worry too much Rosie!" Albus said as he twiddled his thumbs absentmindedly.

"Alright Albus, enough games. You just proved to me that you're acting like an extreme weirdo," Rose said a bit irately.

Albus just hung his head. Why couldn't he be better at lying? "It's something that I promised I wouldn't tell," Albus finally said.

"Who did you promise?" Rose asked. Usually Albus would tell her everything. Even stuff he wasn't supposed to because he knew that she would never tell anyone, and would usually give him sound advice.

"Ahh, I'm not sure I'm at liberty to even say that," Albus said sheepishly.

Ok, Rose thought to herself. This must mean that whatever he wasn't supposed to tell was about her, or involved her in some way. But even more reason to tell her! Secrets can hurt people.

Rose told Albus as much, and even used Lily's famous puppy dog gaze to which Albus, like everyone else in the family, was not immune.

Albus just sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Look Rose. I would tell you, but I'm afraid of hurting you," Albus said sincerely.

"Albus, I promise that it wouldn't hurt me. I'd rather know than not know! You know how not knowing things makes me anxious, especially if I'm involved in whatever it is this is!" Rose said as she tried reasoning with Albus.

"GURAHHH!" Albus finally managed. "I'll tell you, but I did warn you beforehand. Just don't be mad at me," Albus pleaded.

"Albus, why on earth would I be mad at you?! You haven't done anything!" Rose exclaimed utterly confused.

"That's the problem," Albus said as he braced himself to tell Rose about what happened between Scorpius, Hadrian, and Melissa before the start of break.

* * *

While the various Weasley/Potter offspring were having lighthearted conversations and planning their gnome's outfits, the adults had congregated in the Burrow's kitchen.

"Any news Harry?" Hermione Weasley asked suddenly. Normally the abrupt change of topic would leave some people confused, but sadly everyone knew to what Hermione was referring.

Harry sighed and ran his hand over his face. "No. And that's what concerns me the most! We're using every last available resource that the Auror office has, but we still don't know a thing about the Brotherhood, other than it exists and is active underground… We don't know names, numbers, meeting places… We don't know anything!" a frustrated Harry Potter exclaimed as Ginny rubbed soothing circles on his back. This was the only time he could show any emotions. Everywhere else he had to be HARRY POTTER, Hero of the Wizarding World. He had to be professional and always know what he was talking about. It could be rather stressful.

"Harry dear, you'll figure it out. I have faith in you," Molly Weasley I said.

Harry smiled in her direction. Molly Weasley was the mother that he never had, and he wouldn't be where he was without her kindness. "Thanks Molly. It can just be overwhelming at times," Harry said before turning and apologizing to Hermione for snapping.

"Harry, it's ok. We're here for you. We just want to know if you've heard anything, for the sake of the children," Hermione said as she placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"There have been a series of smaller attacks on people who played minor roles in the war, but nothing drastic. Nothing like what the Death Eaters used to do," Harry explained. "Hermione, these people confuse me! Are they evil or what? Why haven't they made a move yet? When our kids are still in school, and when the Auror office is struggling?"

Hermione sighed. She had puzzled over these questions herself late into the night. Unfortunately, these questions could not be found in a book. "Harry, I think that you're trying to stuff squares into circles. Good and evil are just relative terms to which society gives meaning. What is good to one person, might not be good to another. The same can be said of evil. I don't know whether or not these people are truly evil. I can say with conviction that they are making poor decisions that are hurting others, but they haven't directly killed anyone yet! I don't know Harry. This isn't like it was in the war. There is no Voldemort. There are no Death Eaters. The definitions that applied during the war can no longer apply to this situation," Hermione finished.

Her explanation was met with silence, and in some cases, confusion.

"Mione, you're too kind for your own good," Ron Weasley said as he looked at his wife in amazement.

"Always the tone of surprise," Hermione said jokingly.

Before the adults could finish conversing, they were joined by a lost looking Rose Weasley.

"Hey Rosie-Posey!" Ron said as he wrapped an arm around his daughter. Ron's goofy smile disappeared as Rose didn't answer. She hated being called Rosie-Posey. That should have gotten an eye-roll at least.

"Anything wrong dearie?" Nana Weasley asked her granddaughter in concern.

Rose didn't answer. Instead she looked at her mother and Aunt Ginny. "Mum, Aunt Ginny? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Rose asked quietly.

Hermione and Ginny exchanged looks. They weren't used to seeing Rose this way. It was concerning and a bit unnerving, to say the least.

"Sure sweetie, lead the way," Hermione said as she and Ginny turned to follow Rose from the room.

"I wonder what they was about," Percy said as the trio disappeared up the stairs.

* * *

Rose led her mother and aunt to the room she was sharing with Lily. Once there she unceremoniously threw herself on the bed.

Hermione and Ginny exchanged another look. "What's wrong Rose?" Ginny asked as she and Hermione sat down on Lily's bed.

"Life," came Rose's muffled response.

"Care to elaborate honey?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"BOYS! BLOODY BOYS!" Rose shouted as she sat up suddenly. "That's what's bloody wrong!" Rose yelled.

After their hearts settled, Hermione and Ginny asked Rose to explain what about boys that was so wrong. And so Rose explained what Albus had told her earlier about what had happened right before break.

Ginny just shook her head and sighed. Everyone knew that James had no tact, but Albus? He should have realized that this was something Rose needed to hear from Hadrian, and not him. Ginny turned to Hermione and whispered, "I swear that my boys have inherited their lack of tact from Ronald."

But Hermione was too busy looking at her dejected daughter. She remembered the struggles she had to face before she and Ron could get together. Oh, the drama. All of it seemed so foolish back then, but then again, this was happening to her daughter now. "Sweetheart, I know that this is a hard time for you, but I want to let you know that you have every right to feel upset—"

Hermione was interrupted by Rose. "But I'm not upset!" Hermione and Ginny exchanged confused looks. "I mean, I am upset, but I'm more confused than upset!" Rose exclaimed.

"What do you mean Rose?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know. I'm so confused right now!" Rose said as she flopped down amongst the pillows.

"Well, why don't you try and explain what you're feeling. That might clear up some of your confusion," Hermione said. She and her daughter were similar in that they both felt deeply. Sometimes Hermione felt that rationalization was the only way to clear up what she was feeling and make sense of it to herself.

"I feel hurt. Not so much because Hadrian slept with Melissa, but that he didn't tell me! The reason why I'm not upset with Hadrian sleeping with Melissa is because he honestly didn't know it wasn't me. I can't be mad at him for that, but I can be mad and hurt that he wasn't the one to tell me, right?" Rose said as she looked at her mother and aunt for confirmation. When they both nodded she went on. "I'm also hurt and mad at Albus and Scorpius too! Who gives them the right to decide that I shouldn't be told something this important? I love and trust both of them, but apparently they don't love and trust me enough to know that I could take hearing about it from Hadrian without getting mad! I would have understood!" Rose said angrily. "And what makes it even worse is that right now I like my boyfriend, even though I am super disgusted and weirded out to know that he slept with Melissa, but I'm also still in love with Scorpius! So I'm doubly hurt and confused and angry! Oh, and don't get me started on Melissa!" Rose said as her eyes flashed dangerously.

Silence descended on the room as Rose attempted to calm herself down and as Hermione and Ginny tried to process everything.

Before Hermione or Ginny could think of anything to say, Rose asked another question. "Mum, Aunt Ginny? When did you know that you loved Dad and Uncle Harry? And how did you know they were the 'ones'?" Rose asked in all seriousness. "Did you ever love another boy before Dad and Uncle Harry?"

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other. "Do you want to go first Gin?" Hermione asked.

"Ok, I'll go," Ginny said to Hermione. "Rose, is there any particular reason you're asking us these questions now?" Ginny asked. "Does it have to do with you liking your boyfriend but still being in love with Scorpius?"

Rose nodded sheepishly.

"Alright. I'll tell you my story about how I fell in love with Uncle Harry, and how I knew he was the 'one'," Ginny said kindly. "Hopefully it'll help answer any questions or clear up any confusion you might feel.

"Thanks Aunt Ginny," Rose said relieved.

"Let's see. The first time I met Harry was when I was ten and he was eleven. It was at King's Cross Station actually! I remember that I met him briefly when Ron introduced him to my mum, and I remember thinking that he was even more amazing then what the books had already written about him!" Ginny said as she laughed at her young self. "Goodness, they even wrote about him back then!" Ginny said amused. "Anyways, I think that that was the moment that my admiration for him from the stories that my mum told me turned into a crush. Harry became more than the famed boy who lived. He was just a young, confused, and scared child like me! Hmmm… The next time I saw Harry was over the summer when he came to the Burrow. I remember that I would always drop whatever I was holding because I was so nervous to talk to him! Luckily, he pretended not to notice," Ginny said as she grimaced at the embarrassing things she did as a kid. "I think that I might have experienced the first feelings of love for Harry when we visited the book store when Lucius Malfoy and my father got into a fight. I don't exactly remember what was said, but I stood up for him that day. And when I did, I was infused with this amazing feeling. Too bad Voldemort had to steal all of my feelings away my first year," Ginny said bitterly as she remembered what her first year was like under Tom Riddle's influence. "The next thing I really remember clearly is waking up in the Chamber of Secrets with Harry standing over me. In between worrying about what I had done, and if Voldemort was near, I remember thinking that Harry was my hero. Not the hero of the world, but the hero of my heart and being. I know it sounds cheesy, but that's what my eleven year old self thought," Ginny said sheepishly.

"The hero of you heart? Why, that's a new one Mrs. Potter," Harry said with a wink from where he was standing by the door.

Hermione started laughing, and even Rose managed a few giggles at Ginny's embarrassment.

"I… You… HARRY JAMES POTTER! WERE YOU EVESDROPPING ON US?!" Ginny yelled, embarrassed. "OUT!" she said while pointing at the door.

"C'mon Gin! Harry and I would love to hear more about how Our Chosen One was the Hero of Your Heart," George said from where he was standing with Ron behind Harry.

"GRRR. George, Ron, Harry, get out! This is a private conversation!" And with that, Ginny sent a bat boogey hex their way, magically slammed, sealed, and silenced the door shut. "Even if they try using extendible ears, they wouldn't be able to hear anything," Ginny said smugly.

Rose just looked at her aunt impressed.

"Now, where was I. Oh yes, we'll just, uh, move on the next year then! So, my third year was the year of the Tri-Wizard tournament. The year that Harry had a thing for Cho Chang, Hermione had a thing for Viktor Krum, and your father had a thing for Aunt Fleur. It was quite funny actually looking back. Your father asked Aunt Fleur out in front of the whole school only to be rejected! It wasn't funny then, but it's fun to make fun of now," Ginny said as she and Hermione tried and failed to fight off giggles.

"Ewwww! Dad and Aunt Fleur! Gross! And Mum! You and Viktor KRUM! The known ladies' man in Bulgaria?!" Rose asked disgusted. Merlin, she should have thought this through before asking about her parent's love lives.

"He wasn't a ladies' man back then!" Hermione said a bit embarrassed.

"Anyways, Harry had a huge crush on Cho, and it broke my young heart. Cho and I get on greatly now, but when Harry was into her I was so jealous! Cho was exceptionally pretty, and I was only known to him as the tom-boyish younger sister. Actually, Cho ended up married to Michael, one of my ex-boyfriends. It's funny how things turn out…" Ginny said as she trailed off.

"You dated Mr. Corner! My best friend's Dad!" Rose asked Ginny with wide eyes.

"Yes, because your mother told me to. She told me that one way in which to get Harry to notice me as more than Ron's younger sister was to be more confident in myself, and my abilities, and to maybe try dating a few other people. At that point I was willing to because I was feeling that it was hopeless with Harry anyways because he was preoccupied with Voldemort coming back and trying to ask out Cho. I felt that he needed his friends. And I wanted to be there and be his friend too, other feelings aside. That was the year that Michael asked me out. It was during my fourth year and Harry's fifth. The year that we started the DA and Harry dated Cho, and the year that the Battle at the Ministry took place. And the year that Sirius died. It was a hard year for everyone," Ginny said as her eyes filled with sadness.

Rose had heard all of these stories. Not the ones about her aunt's love life, but of the Ministry Battle and of Sirius. Even though she never knew him, she still got sad whenever he was mentioned.

"Why did you and Mr. Corner break up?" Rose asked.

"He got jealous of Harry. He thought I talked about him too much, which looking back I probably did. I was just concerned for him. He was worried about being possessed by Voldemort, and I was trying to convince him he was not because I knew what it was like to be possessed. Michael was horribly mad after, but he got over it after he started dating Cho after the final battle. After Michael I started dating Dean—"

"You dated Mr. Thomas! Fred's girlfriend's father! Does he know this?!" Rose exclaimed.

"No! And he doesn't need to! These romances happened in the past. The only reason I'm telling you this is because you asked," Ginny said somewhat crossly.

"Sorry Aunt Ginny. That was a James move I just pulled…" Rose apologized sheepishly.

Ginny just laughed. "Don't worry about it. But you're right. James would go and tell Fred that just to see if he could freak him out. Anyways, I dated Dean longer than Michael because we had more in common. Dean was Harry's friend, so he wasn't unnecessarily jealous of him. We also had Quidditch in common, and comic books. I used to sneak Ron's when he wasn't looking. Even though I dated and liked Michael and Dean, I never stopped loving Harry deep down inside. I think the part of me that loved Harry got excited when I realized that he was looking at me longer than usual, and when he would hug me a little bit longer. My feelings were confirmed after Dean and I broke up, and Harry kissed me after we won the big Quidditch game! It was then that I knew all along that Harry was and had been the one for me," Ginny concluded with a smile.

"So you loved Uncle Harry from the beginning?" Rose asked.

"Yes. And even though we've been married for some time, I still find myself loving him every day," Ginny said.

"Wow. What about you mum?" Rose asked turning to Hermione.

"Well, I think that part of me knew I liked your father since the fourth year," Hermione said contemplatively.

"Only the fourth year? Dad once told me that he had been secretly attracted to you since first year!" Rose said.

"Well, I did have a small crush on someone before I had feelings for your father…" Hermione said.

"Who!" Ginny and Rose asked together. Ginny didn't know Hermione had liked anyone besides Ron.

"What I'm about to tell you cannot under any circumstances leave this room, much less get back to your father. Understand?" Once Rose and Ginny had nodded, Hermione continued with a sigh. "I had the biggest crush on Draco Malfoy up until that fateful day when he called me a Mudblood in second year. Up until then he had never said anything to me. He had this unapproachable quality to him that made me want to get to know him. Him calling me a Mudblood got rid of those ideas rather quickly though," Hermione said with a scowl.

Rose was shocked. Her mum and Mr. MALFOY! As in Scorpius' father? EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

"Mum eww! That's Scorpius' dad!" Rose said as she crinkled her nose in disgust. Ginny just looked shocked.

Hermione gave a nervous chuckle and grin. "What can I say honey? I guess that us Ganger girls find the Malfoy men captivating. Or did, in my case. Totally past tense. I'm in love with your father and cannot imagine myself with anyone but him, and I think Astoria Malfoy is lovely. We're in a book club together you know!" Hermione said with a smile. She always smiled when books were mentioned.

"But..." Rose started.

"Rose, let your mum continue with her story. You can ask questions when she's finished. Now that I think about it, I have a few questions myself missy!" Ginny said while mock glaring at Hermione.

"Thanks Gin," Hermione said with an eye roll. Anyways, I started to have feelings for your father around fourth year. I was desperately hoping he would ask me to the Ball, but he was obsessed with Fleur then, and apparently didn't realize I was a girl…" Hermione said huffily. "Anyways, Viktor beat him to it, and what can I say? He was the first boy to take notice of me, and he was handsome in this rugged way. So I said yes. I wouldn't say that we dated per say, but we did hang out and kiss a bit. Anyways, I knew your father was the one once I smelled him in my Amortentia. That never lies. But, of course, your father being as he is, we ended up not getting together until that kiss during the middle of the war. And like Ginny, that kiss confirmed what I had been feeling and what the Amortentia told me. That your father was and is my true love," Hermione said.

"You kissed during the middle of the war?!" Rose asked in disbelief.

Hermione just sighed. "I swear she gets this trait from Ron!"

Ginny just laughed. "My brother does tend to focus on some of the unimportant details…"

"So, did our stories help at all?" Hermione asked her daughter.

"Well, they definitely gave me stuff to think about," Rose said as she tried to commit what was said to memory.

Before anyone could say anything else they were interrupted by Molly's cry of, "DINNER!"

* * *

Rose woke up on Christmas morning excited but apprehensive. This was the day that both Scorpius and Hadrian would be arriving. She had thought about what her mother and aunt had said and still didn't know what to do.

Rose was opening presents when Albus poked his head into the room she was sharing with Lily. Christmas was the only time that Lily ever got up earlier than she did, so she was currently alone in her room.

"Hey, I know you're mad, but it's Christmas, please forgive me!" Albus said from outside her door.

Rose sighed. "It's ok to come in. And I'm not mad. I was never mad at you. Just hurt and confused," Rose said as Abudl sat down on her bed.

"Then why have you been ignoring me?" Albus asked with hurt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry about that too. I've just been thinking. It's all so confusing," Rose said tiredly.

"What's so confusing?" Albus asked.

"Mostly my feelings about Hadrian and Scorpius. I don't know how I feel about either of them right now," Rose said dejectedly.

"Do you still have feelings for Scorpius?" Albus asked.

Rose nodded miserably. "It would be easier if I didn't."

Albus put his shoulder around Rose comfortingly. "Hey, what's meant to happen will happen. But, just know that I have your back and support you," Albus said as Rose turned in for a hug.

* * *

The Weasley Christmas party was in full swing when Scorpius and Hadrian arrived. Rose found it ironic that they both managed to arrive within minutes of each other, and that the first thing they both decided to do was seek her out.

Hadrian got there first. He picked Rose up and swung her around before pulling her in for a kiss. Usually Rose would find this amusing, but right now she found it unsettling. Hadrian wasn't even acting like anything was wrong.

Not a moment later Scorpius did the same thing, minus the kiss. Rose by this time was annoyed since both her boys were acting like nothing was wrong and nothing had happened.

"Scorpius, Hadrian, I need to talk to you," Rose said in a tone that would hold no argument.

Scorpius and Hadrian exchanged nervous glances as they followed Rose to the kitchen.

"What's up babe?" Hadrian asked concerned. Scorpius also looked concerned.

"I know," was all she said.

Both Hadrian and Scorpius's faces drained of color. Both glanced at each other before Scorpius yelled, "AL!"

"Oh stop it Scorpius! Don't blame Albus for something you decided! And who pray tell made you my keeper? It wasn't your decision to keep something like this from me!" Rose said as her face slowly became the famous Weasley red.

"I didn't want you to be hurt," Scorpius said.

"Hurt! What hurts is that you made the decision for me! You should have known me better, known that this is something I wanted to know! And you!" Rose said pointing at Hadrian. "You're my BOYFRIEND! I should have heard this from you, not AL!"

"Rose I'm sorry! You don't know how sorry I am!" Hadrian said pleadingly.

Rose just pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I'm not mad about Melissa. I'm mad and HURT that both of you wouldn't have ever told me. That's what hurts," Rose said as she looked at Scorpius and Hadrian with tears in her eyes.

Scorpius' heart hurt as he saw how deeply hurt Rose was by his actions. "Rose, I—" Scorpius started.

But Rose just held up her hand. "Stop, I don't want to hear it right now. Please just go Scorpius. I want to talk to Hadrian alone."

Scorpius wanted to argue, but he knew he really didn't have a choice. As he walked out of the kitchen, he glanced back at Rose, and saw her sad face. From that moment on Scorpius decided that he would never again hurt her.

"Are you breaking up with me?" Hadrian asked as soon as they were alone.

"I… No. I'm not," Rose said with a sigh. "I still like you Hadrian, and I forgive you for the Melissa mishap, since you really were under the impression that she was me… But why would you keep this from me?" Rose asked seriously.

"I didn't want you to get hurt," Hadrian said sincerely.

Rose sighed. They just didn't get it. "Didn't it occur to you at all that it might have hurt me more not knowing? Even if Melissa promised not to tell, it still would have probably gotten back to me. You know how Hogwarts is. If it's a secret, everyone knows about it."

"I… I'm sorry. I don't know what to say," Hadrian said seriously.

"Me neither," Rose said. "Maybe we need a break. Not a break up, but a break. Just so we can get our thoughts together," Rose said.

Hadrian closed his eyes, but nodded. He realized that Rose needed time to think and process things. As a friend, he could give it to her. "If you figure things out, let me know, ok? No matter what direction they go in," Hadrian said.

Rose just nodded.

Hadrian walked up to Rose and gave her a quick kiss. "I love you. I just want you to know that," Hadrian said seriously.

Rose nodded as she saw the seriousness in his eyes. After a couple moments, Hadrian backed up and walked away leaving Rose alone with her thoughts.

Rose just sighed to herself. Instead of finding answers, all she found were more questions and more confusion.

* * *

Ok, so I love the idea of Hermione/Ginny/Rose bonding time, hence the scene where they are talking about their love lives. I do ship Dramione, which is why I have that little bit on Hermione having a brief crush on Draco. I also ship Romione though. I ship the two for different reasons. I love the Harry/Ginny ship. I don't ship them with anyone but themselves.

I exclusively ship Rose and Scorpius with each other. I'm not a fan of the other Scorpius ships out there whether they be ScorLily, ScorDom, ScorRox, ScorBus, or ScorOC. I feel like Dom and Rox were too old for him (they were at least in fourth year or higher when he started), and Lily I think would have a good friend/almost sibling relationship with him. I feel like Rose and Lily would practically be sisters so I hate the fanfics where they fight over Scorpius. Plus, I ship LyLil so hard! Or if I were to do an OC, it would probably whoever Zabini, Puecy, or Theo Nott's son/daughter was with Lily.

I also love Albus/Rose bonding time! I like the whole close cousin dynamic they have going on.

And, Hadrian and Rose have not broken up. I want to make that clear. They are just taking a break so that Rose can figure things out. That being said, this is still Scorose. It's just going to take time to get there.

Thanks for reading! :)


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

It was well into March before Rose was ready to make her decision. She had resigned herself to the fact that she would always love Scorpius, even though the love was one-sided. At the same time, Rose knew that she had it in herself to also love Hadrian, who did love her and who was good for her. Rose smiled. She had just answered herself after all.

Rose found Hadrian out by the lake. He was enjoying one of the nicer spring days.

"What're you doing?" Rose asked as she plopped down next to him.

Hadrian started, but then smiled when he saw Rose. "Relaxing and drawing the giant squid," Hadrian said as he showed Rose what he was working on.

"Hey! That's really good!" Rose said smiling. It really did look like the giant squid.

"Thanks," Hadrian said with a smile as he added the finishing touches to the squid's tentacles.

"Hadrian, I've come to my decision," Rose said shyly.

Hadrian noticeably tensed up as he waited for what Rose had to say. "I want to stay together. I really like you, and you're good to me. I want to be together if that's what you still—"

Rose was cut off by a searing kiss from Hadrian. Rose smiled when he pulled back and gave a slight smirk. "I'm guessing that's a yes then?"

"Like it would be anything else," Hadrian replied as they went in for another kiss.

* * *

Scorpius watched the pair from the owlery. He was on his way to send his mother a letter when he saw the familiar flash of Rose's hair shining in the sun. Scorpius moved closer to the window to see where she was going. As Scorpius watched, he saw Rose talk to Hadrian, and then get kissed by him. He didn't know why, but he suddenly wanted to sock Hadrian in the face. Scorpius turned away from the kissing couple to try and find an owl, only to find that they had crumpled his letter and smeared the ink.

"Damn."

* * *

Scorpius was flying around the Quidditch pitch trying to clear his mind. Lately he had been thinking about Rose. How she smelled, how beautiful she looked, how wonderful her brain was, and how she was always up for a good laugh. This of course was alternated with the thought of doing harm to Hadrian, who he regretfully could not help be like even though he wanted to dislike him. All in all, Scorpius was stressed and confused. The only way he knew how to deal was through flying.

Scorpius's peaceful flight was interrupted by someone calling his name. Looking down Scorpius could just make out the features of Lysander Scamander, who was clearly trying to get his attention. Scorpius sighed as he aimed his broom towards the ground.

"Hey mate, I was looking for you!" Lysander said as soon as Scorpius landed.

"Hey Ly, what's up?" Scorpius asked wearily.

"I just wanted to talk. Hey, you ok?" Lysander asked once he took in Scorpius's haggard appearance.

"Yea, I'm just stressed. Have a lot on my mind. What did you want to talk about?" Scorpius asked.

"Well, there's someone who—" Lysander began only to be cut off by Scorpius.

"It's Lily isn't it," Scorpius said knowingly.

Lysander blushed, but didn't deny it.

"Well, what about her?" Scorpius asked.

"Ithinkilikeher," Lysander said.

"What?" Scorpius asked.

"I think I like her. But she's with that Brent guy now! Has been for a while," Lysander said disgustedly. He obviously was not a fan of Brent.

Scorpius knew when a fellow guy needed to vent about a girl. So he just waited for Lysander to continue.

"Lily is my best friend! Or she was. Now she spends a lot of time with Brent. It's not like she ignores me or anything, but we're not as close as we were! And it bugs me!" Lysander said as he paced back in forth in front of Scorpius.

"Well, why didn't you ask her out if you liked her?" Scorpius asked.

"It's because I didn't realize I liked her until recently! I mean, I always liked her. Lily's Lily! How can you not like her? She's smart, sweet, funny, beautiful, great at Quidditch, caring… Sweet Merlin!" Lysander said as he stopped in his tracks. "I'm in love with her!"

And with that, Lysander sank to the ground.

Scorpius had to internalize a snort. Lysander was a drama queen if he could call a guy that. Maybe the proper terminology was drama king. While Lysander was your typical dude's dude, he did tend to overdramatize every situation. He even dramatized his realization that he loved Lily. They're perfect for each other, Scorpius thought dryly.

"Erm Ly? Why are you telling me this, if you don't mind me asking. We've never really talked before," Scorpius asked.

Lysander looked up from where he was sitting on the ground. "Because I figure we're in the same boat," Lysander replied simply.

"What do you mean?" Scorpius asked more quickly than he would have liked.

"Well, we both are in love with our best friends, who happen to be taken right now," Lysander said as he scowled.

"Uhh, I never said anything about being in love with Rose," Scorpius said. He realized his mistake too late.

"I never mentioned Rose," Lysander said slyly. "Besides, you don't need to SAY anything. It's written all over your face when you see Rose with Hadrian. You do love her, but you just aren't ready to admit it to yourself. That or you don't realize it yet," Lysander said.

Damn. Scorpius had forgotten who he was talking to. While Lysander Scamander could be really dramatic, he was still Luna Scamander nee Lovegood's son. They were oddly perceptive that bunch.

"I don't love Rose," Scorpius scoffed. "We're… best friends!"

"Denial is the first sign of love," Lysander chanted from the ground.

"What? That's the first sign that you have an addiction or something. That doesn't make sense," Scorpius said annoyed.

"Well then, you're addicted to Rosie," Lysander said jokingly.

"Don't call her Rosie. She hates that!" Scorpius said crossly. Now he remembered why he and Lysander never talked.

"Fine, I can see you're getting annoyed, so I'll leave you be," Lysander said as he got up from the ground. "But, think about what I said, and what you just said. You sure do know a lot about Rose. And Rose did say that she loved you at one point," Lysander said before turning and heading back towards the castle.

"You're welcome!" Scorpius called after him.

Lysander just turned around and waved.

As Scorpius got back on his broom, he couldn't help but think about what Lysander said.

* * *

Lily was walking with Brent down the streets of Hogsmeade while Brent was talking. Lily couldn't help but internally sigh. It's not that she didn't like Brent, but she didn't know if she still like-liked him. When they had first started dating, Brent seemed so intelligent and cool. But now, that intelligence was starting to seem like arrogance. It was in the way that he talked to her and others sometimes. Like he was superior just because he was a Ravenclaw and the smartest in his year. It was starting to bother Lily. While she didn't mind intelligence, she preferred that it was balanced with the ability to be spontaneous.

"Brent, let's go to the Shrieking Shack!" Lily said. She wanted to have fun and go on an adventure.

"Why?" Brent asked genuinely confused.

"Because, I want to have fun!" Lily said.

"Fun? Am I not fun Lily?" Brent asked annoyed.

"What? That's not what I meant Brent!" Lily said.

"Yes, but you implied it!" Brent said. As if she were a three year old.

"And pray tell how my suggestion of going to the Shrieking Shack implies that you're not fun," Lily said, exasperated.

"Easy, you always interrupt me when I talk, and then suggest doing something totally ridiculous and stupid!" Brent said loudly. They were starting to gather attention.

"Stupid! My ideas are stupid! The only reason I suggest these ideas is because all you do is talk about yourself! In case you haven't noticed, I'm here too. What if I want to talk about my dreams and my passions?" Lily asked.

"What dreams? You're only a fourth year! It's not like you're taking your OWLs! I am! Therefore I'm entitled to talk about my dreams, because they actually matter!" Brent said yelling now.

"So then my dreams don't matter?" Lily said dangerously.

Brent just sighed and rolled his eyes. "You know that's not what I mean Lily."

"Really? Because I think that is what you meant. How about this. I'll go to the Shrieking Shack, and you stay here and figure out exactly what you mean!" Lily said before flipping her hair and stalking away down the street.

"Women!" Brent said to no one in particular.

* * *

Melissa walked down the sidewalk going over the fight between Brent and Lily. It was a spectacular fight, Melissa thought happily. Too bad it wasn't with the auburn red head she so desperately hated. While Lily and Brent might be having trouble in paradise, Rose and Hadrian were going strong. It was sickening. But what was even worse was the way Scorpius looked at Rose whenever she wasn't paying attention. It was like she was the most precious thing on the planet. Her Scorpy was looking at the half-blood she-Weasel bitch in a way that he had never looked at her. It was maddening.

Melissa was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that she had ventured into the less populated part of town. The only reason she did notice was because she was roused from her thoughts by the sound of someone apparating. Melissa looked around but didn't see anything.

Just because she couldn't see anyone, didn't mean they weren't there. Melissa was anything but an idiot. "Who's there?" she called out as she took out her wand. 'I'm warning you I'm—"

Melissa was stunned from behind before she could finish her sentence. After taking her wand, the person swung Melissa's unconscious body over their shoulder and apparated away.

* * *

Lily was walking towards the Shrieking Shack and mumbling to herself when a yellow Daffodil suddenly appeared in front of her. This was enough to make her stop and smile. Daffodils were her favorite flower, and the only person who knew that was Lysander. Everyone else thought that because she was named Lily, her favorite flowers were lilies. It was actually quite annoying.

"You can come out now Ly," Lily said as she looked around the clearing.

"Caught me," Lysander said with a smile as he stepped out from behind a tree.

Wow. Lily thought. She had forgotten how good Ly looked, or maybe it was because she had been too caught up with Brent to notice.

"How did you know I would be here?" Lily asked.

"Well, I might have heard you scream something about wanting to go the Shrieking Shack… So I decided to surprise you!" Lysander said with a smile.

But Lily just grimaced as she was reminded of her very public fight with Brent. With her luck it would be all over the Prophet tomorrow. She could just see the headlines now.

"Knut for your thought?" Lysander said since Lily seemed to be deep in thought about something.

Lily sighed and sat on the side of the road. Lysander sat down next to her.

"It's Brent. Lately he's been irritating me! It seems that lately all he does is talk about himself. It's all about his goals and his dreams. Whenever I try to talk about what I want to do he always ties it back to him. It's maddening!" Lily said as she threw her arms in the air in frustration.

"That sucks," Lysander said sympathetically. On one hand he was sad that Lily was upset, but on the other, he was internally rejoicing. The part of him that wanted to be with Lily that is.

"Yeah. And he always talks to me like I'm three! I know I'm not the smartest person, and I don't take my school work as seriously as I should, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid!" Lily said.

Lysander just snorted. "Trust me, the only stupid one is Brent," Lysander said under his breath.

"Pardon?" Lily said,

"I just said that Brent is the stupid one. He's so caught up in himself that he doesn't see what's right in front of him. He doesn't see the beautiful, smart, caring, and witty young woman that I do. He doesn't see you like I do," Lysander said as he looked Lily in the eye.

Lily held her breath. Her heart was beating wildly. What was happening?

"Although, I do say that I might have something in common with him," Lysander said as he looked away.

Now Lily was just confused. "What are you talking about Ly?"

"Both Brent and I didn't see what was right in front of our eyes. He can't see now, and I didn't see until it was too late," Lysander said cryptically. "But enough of that talk. I do believe the lady doth want to go see the Shrieking Shack," Lysander said with his usual cheeky grin.

Lily couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friend's attempted use of old English. But she accepted his hand and arm anyways. Lily couldn't help but laugh with Ly, but she was storing their conversation to dissect for later.

* * *

Albus and Mei were enjoying a drink at the three Broomsticks when they were suddenly joined by an irate looking Brent. Albus and Mei just exchanged a look.

"Sure you can sit with us!" Albus said sarcastically as Brent had pulled up a chair.

Brent just waved Albus off. This caused Albus's eyebrows to raise. That was never a good sign.

"I don't know how you do it mate," Brent said in all seriousness.

"Do what?" Mei asked confused.

"Be around her! She's so immature!" Brent whined.

"You better not be talking about Lily." Albus threatened. He and Mei had heard all about the fight from those who had come in and out of the pub.

"I am! All she does is want to flit around! She doesn't understand that there are serious things in the world. She can't be serious for one second!" Brent said.

Albus's glass shattered, as did those around him. "I think that you're the one who can't be taken serious Andrews!" Albus all but shouted. "At least my sister cares about someone other than herself! Get off your damn high horse would ya!"

The pub had gone deathly silent, and Brent looked as if he had been slapped across the face.

Finally, when he had regained the ability to speak, he said, "You Potter's are all bloody crazy!" before he stormed away.

Albus just sat down and put his head in his hands as the rest of the pub started to digest the newest piece of gossip. "I bet you're embarrassed to be with me right now," Albus told Mei sheepishly.

"On the contrary," Mei said with a smile. "I've never wanted to be with you more," she said before pulling Albus in for a heart stopping kiss.

The last coherent thought Albus had was that he should do stuff like that more often.

* * *

Melissa came to with a groan. She immediately sat up as she realized she was in the middle of a room full of people that she did not know. She began to search for her wand, which she couldn't find.

"Don't bother looking. I have it here," a man with glasses said. He was indeed holding her wand.

Melissa's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And may I have it back?" she asked bitingly.

The man just raised her eyebrows. "I do believe you were right Erasmus. This could be the missing piece," He said as he studied Melissa.

What the fuck was going on. "What are you on about?" Melissa asked angrily. "Who are you?"

"All in good time my dear, " the man said. "Are you Scorpius Malfoy's girlfriend?"

Melissa just bristled. Great, another person rubbing the fact that they had broken up in her face. "Ex," Melissa mumbled.

Bernard looked surprised. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"That bitch Weasley happened," Melissa hissed.

"Would you be talking about Rose Weasley?" Bernard asked.

"Yes," Melissa replied through gritted teeth.

"And I'm guessing you'd like to get revenge on Miss Weasley?" Bernard asked as he began to circle Melissa.

"Yes. I want her to pay," Melissa said with a gleam in her eye that was not quite sane.

"As do we," The man said simply.

Melissa turned around in surprise.

"Well, we want more than just Miss Weasley to pay, but that would be a start," the man said. "Melissa, we brought you here today for those exact reasons. That you want to get revenge on Miss Weasley. We had thought it would be because you perceived her as a threat to your relationship, but this new development is even more splendid."

"I'm so glad you wish to benefit from my misfortune," Melissa said scathingly.

"Don't think of it as misfortune, think of it as an opportunity. With us, you will be able to have your revenge on Miss Weasley and more," the man said with a smile.

"That would be great, if I knew who you are," Melissa said with an eye roll.

"How rude of us. Let me introduce you to the Brotherhood. Everyone in this room is a member, aside from you of course, but we wish for you to join us," Bernard said as he gestured around the room.

Melissa gasped. She had heard about the Brotherhood. They were all over the news. A powerful group that apparently had it in for the Potter's, Weasley's, Malfoy's, and all others who took part in the war. On top of that, the Ministry and Harry Potter himself did not seem to be able to locate them.

"What's in it for me?" Melissa asked.

"If you help spy on those in Hogwarts, you can have Scorpius once we, uh, deal with the rest of them," the man said as he was well aware of her underlying motives. The part about letting her have Scorpius was of a course a lie, but she did not need to know that.

"You drive a hard bargain, but I accept," Melissa said with a grin.

"One more thing. If you join our group, there is no way out save death. If you attempt to talk about our group or our plans, you will die a most painful death. If you would rather back out now, we shall simply obliviate you and send you on your way," the man said as he watched Melissa's reaction to the news.

"I don't give a shit. I just want Weasley to pay. And why not throw her friends in as well," Melissa said as she imagined all the horrible things that she would have the power of doing with a strong group at her back.

"Very well then. You will need the mark," the man said as he held out his wand.

"Whoa! Mark! Is this like the Dark Mark!" Melissa asked panicked.

"No you stupid girl!" the man said enraged. "We are nothing like the Death Eaters or Voldemort. He wished to cleanse the world of those he deemed unworthy and inferior. We fight to rectify what he did. And we had the mark before the Dark Mark was even invented. Voldemort created his mark upon hearing rumors about ours!"

"Ok, I was just asking. Yeesh," Melissa said. Some people could be so touchy.

"Just give me your shoulder," the man said exasperated.

"Shoulder?" Melissa questioned.

"Yes. Your shoulder. People are less likely to see it there," the man said with as much patience as possible. If he didn't need the girl… But alas, he did for his plans to work.

"Will it hurt?" Melissa asked.

"NO! Now just hold still!" the man said as he performed the necessary spell.

All of a sudden Melissa was infused the coldest feeling she had ever felt. It was even colder than the time she had accidentally walked through a ghost. Melissa involuntarily shivered.

"There. You are now an official part of our group. You shall feel a similar feeling when we plan on meeting. As soon as you step to a place where it is possible to apparate, the mark will automatically transport you there. Understood?" the man asked. He really hoped she didn't have any more questions. She was quite annoying. No wonder the young Malfoy dumped her.

Melissa just shook her head.

"Very well. Erasmus will take you back," the man said as he handed Melissa back her wand.

A moment later Erasmus disapparated with the girl. Even though she was beyond annoying, her want for vengeance and manipulative ways could come in handy. Bernard just smiled to himself. Potter, Weasley, Malfoy, their families and all the others wouldn't know what hit them when he came for them.

* * *

Thank you for reading! :)

I need Rose and Hadrian to be together for Scorpius to realize his true feelings. Plus, I do like Hadrian as a character.

I also liked going into the other characters stories a bit. It lets you know what they're up to. Plus, I wanted some LyLil action ;)


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Thanks for reading everyone. Let me know what you think of the story/characters :)

* * *

Rose sighed to herself as she walked down the hallway from Professor Patil, her Head of House's office. Finals had been held a bit earlier for the 6th years this year than they had in the past because Headmistress McGonagall decided to move career counseling from 5th year to 6th year starting with Rose's class. Her reasons were that it would make more sense to base a career off of what a student got on their OWLS then catering certain OWLs to meet a career. So, all of the 6th years were already done with their finals and were in the midst of getting career counseling while the rest of the school was just starting their final exams.

Rose, as a Weasley, was one of the last people to be called in for career counseling. Since Rose had gotten all OUTSTANDINGS on her OWLs, she could pretty much apply for whatever career she wanted. And that was what made it so difficult. Rose just didn't know what she wanted to do once she left Hogwarts. She had looked at all of the career pamphlets in the weeks leading up to the meeting, but she still couldn't pick a definitive course.

Rose felt like she was the only one who didn't know what she wanted to do. Hadrian had found out two weeks ago that he had been accepted into the Auror training program, and he was expected to leave for New Zealand the moment after his diploma was placed into his hand. Rose just sighed again. They hadn't really talked about what Hadrian's moving would do to their relationship, but Rose couldn't help but feel that it would cause many complications…

Rose mentally shook herself. She couldn't think of that now. Professor Patil had given her even more pamphlets to look over, and she had a little less than a week until she had to meet with her Professor again, and with a definitive career choice as well. Needless to say, it was a bit stressful.

It just wasn't fair. Hadrian was going to be an Auror, Albus was being looked at by Professional Quidditch teams, and Scorpius was looking into being a Pointioneer for both St. Mungo's and the Malfoy family business. Mei was breaking away from the traditional career choices to go into the world of fashion with Lily, once they both graduated from Hogwarts. How was it that her cousin that was two years younger than her already knew what she was going to do with the rest of her life, and had a definitive career plan? How was it that she, Rose Weasley, top of her class, and the new, "Brightest Witch of Her Age," as Witch Weekly kindly dubbed her, in their latest article, _The Potter/Weasley/Malfoy Families: Where They Are Now, And Where They Are Going_ , still had no idea what to do with herself? Really, what was the point of achieving high marks if you didn't know what to do with them?!

Rose was shaken out of her musings by the feeling that someone was watching her. Rose glanced around, but didn't see anyone. Rose just shook her head at herself before walking towards the Great Hall to meet her friends for dinner.

* * *

Rose had just arrived in the Entrance Hall when she was assaulted by the dulcet tones of her younger cousin Lily, yelling at the top of her lungs. Apparently, whatever her cousin was yelling about was interesting enough to attract a large crowd. Rose had to push her way through the throng of people just to make it to the scene of the screaming match.

Of course. She should have known. After all, Lily and Brent were yelling at each other. Again. Really, Rose thought to herself. They should just break up. She had talked to Lily about the foolishness of staying in a relationship when it was clear that she no longer had any feelings for the guy, and the guy no longer had any feelings for her, but Lily always brushed it off with her usual reply of, "I refuse to be the bad guy!"

Speak of the devil, Rose thought to herself as Lily yelled, "I refuse to be the bad guy in this situation! Why can't you just admit the fact that you're a conceited and sexist pig?!"

"I'm conceited? Have you looked in the mirror?" Brent yelled back. "You're so obsessed with your looks that you don't care about anyone else!"

Oh, that was a low blow, Rose thought to herself. While Lily did care and take pride in her appearance, she wasn't nearly as conceited as some of the other girls in the school. Plus, she had been doing a lot better this year than last year.

In any case, Rose had had enough. It was quite ridiculous. Lily and Brent had an explosive fight once a day. As a prefect, and as Lily's cousin, Rose decided that it was her duty to stop the fight before it escalated any further.

Without further ado, Rose stepped in between her beyond pissed cousin, and her pissed off boyfriend. "That's enough! You guys are being ridiculous! It's obvious at this point that your relationship is no longer working out. Why don't you guys do the mature thing and just mutually decide to break up?" Rose asked.

Lily and Brent went from glaring at each other to instead glare at Rose. Rose stood her ground, although she would rather not be in the middle of two highly pissed off teenagers with wands.

"I've already told you Rose. I'm not going to break up with him because I refuse to be the bad guy!" Lily said with blazing eyes.

"Well, I refuse to be the bad guy too! Besides, stay out of this Weasley. No one asked for your self-righteous opinion," Brent sneered.

"Hey, you don't get to talk to my cousin like that!" Lily said angrily.

"I can talk to her however I want! You don't control me!" Brent responded childishly.

Lily was about to retort when a blast from Rose's wand silenced both of them. Rose couldn't help but smirk to herself. Lily and Brent hadn't learned how to do non-verbal magic, so they couldn't reverse the silencing spell themselves.

Rose's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Albus, Scorpius, Mei, and Lysander, who were all looking at the scene with confusion. Rose still had her wand up and was in the middle of Lily and Brent, both of whom were alternating between glaring at each other, and glaring at Rose.

"Errr, what's going on here?" Albus asked obviously confused.

Rose just sighed in exasperation. "What's going on here is that I was on my way to the Great Hall for dinner when I stumbled across your sister and her idiot boyfriend going at it again in the middle of the hallway!" Rose exclaimed angrily.

"THEY WERE WHAT?!" Albus screeched as he advanced upon a now terrified looking Brent.

Rose was momentarily confused by Albus's strong reaction when her brain suddenly caught up with her. "Eww, Al! That's not what I meant! I meant that they were having one of their fights again!" Rose said utterly disgusted with the idea that her cousin had thought that her other cousin was doing that in the middle of the hallway with a guy she clearly did not like.

Albus stopped advancing towards Brent to stand there somewhat awkwardly. "Er, right. I knew that!" Albus said completely unconvincingly.

Mei face palmed while Lily rolled her eyes in annoyance. Scorpius on the other hand snorted rather loudly, which earned him glares from both Albus and Rose. Needless to say, he composed himself rather quickly.

Rose rolled her eyes at her friend's foolishness. "As I was saying. Lily and Brent were having one of their epic screaming matches again. I stepped in to try and talk some sense into them, but had to silence them because they couldn't get it through their thick skulls that NEITHER OF THEM WOULD BE THE BAD GUY if they mutually decided to break up!" Rose said as she directed the last part of her speech towards the two silenced teens. Both had the decency to look somewhat ashamed.

Rose closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath. When she opened her eyes, she saw her cousin Lily making weird hand signals at her. Rose closed her eyes again before saying, "What Lily."

Lily continued to make weird hand signals, and Rose continued to stare at her incomprehensively.

"I think Lily's trying to tell you that she wants to be able to talk again," Mei said somewhat uncertainly.

Rose took Lily's jumping up and down and nodding towards Mei to gather that that was what she did want. "If I unsilence you, will you promise not to start fighting again?" Rose asked sternly.

Lily nodded her head, after which Rose undid the silencing charm.

Lily took a deep breath before turning to look at Brent, who was still silenced. "Rose is right. We're both being idiots about this whole thing. It's obvious to us and everyone else in the bloody school that we're not working out anymore. I'm going to take this universal hint and say that it's time to end this relationship," Lily said.

Brent just looked pleadingly at Rose who rolled her eyes before unsilencing him too.

Brent took a deep breath before saying, "You're right Lily. Enough is enough. It's time we put an end to this. We were good at the beginning, but then life got in the way. Maybe if we stop now, we could have a chance of being friends in the future."

Lily just nodded and said, "Maybe."

And cue the awkward silence Rose thought to herself. Lily and Brent now refused to look the other in the eye, but neither wanted to be the first to leave, while Albus looked torn between beating up the guy who just broke up with his sister, or shaking his hand for finally agreeing to end a bad relationship.

Rose just rolled her eyes. People. "Well, now that that's over, I'm going to do what I came here to do; eat." And with that Rose turned on her heel and walked into the Great Hall, Mei following close behind. Lily, Brent, and Lysander went in next with Lily and Lysander going to the Gryffindor table and Brent to the Ravenclaw table.

The whole crowd eventually dispersed leaving only Albus and Scorpius in the hall. Scorpius smiled to himself and let out a low whistle. This caused Albus to look at him curiously.

"I was just thinking about how Rose'll be a great mum someday," Scorpius said with a far-off look in his eye. His thoughts were interrupted once Albus whacked him upside the head.

"OW! What the hell was that for?" Scorpius said as he glared at Albus.

"That was for perving on my cousin!" Albus said as he glared back.

"Wha—I wasn't perving on Rose!" Scorpius retorted offended.

Albus just gave him the look. After a couple seconds Scorpius broke down. "Ok fine, I might have been perving a little," he said somewhat reluctantly.

"So does this mean you've finally realized your long-hidden feelings for my favorite cousin?" Albus asked seriously.

"Whoa! I never said that!" Scorpius said hastily.

"Yeah, well it's only a matter of time," Albus said cryptically as he too went into the Great Hall for dinner.

Scorpius was left alone wondering what the hell just happened.

* * *

Rose took a calming breath before opening the door to Professor Patil's office. It was the last day of term, and therefore, the day of her life-deciding meeting with her Head of House. Professor Patil looked up from her paperwork upon hearing the door opening.

"Ah, Rose. Come on in!" Professor Patil said with a smile.

Rose smiled back confidently. She wasn't a nervous wreck like she was the last time they had met. Rose actually knew what she wanted to do for her career now. All she had needed to do was send a hurried letter off to her Uncle Bill. Now she was all set.

"I think I know what I'd like to do Professor," Rose said as she sat down.

Professor Patil smiled. "That's great Rose! Why don't you tell me what you're thinking."

"I think I want to be a curse-breaker like my Uncle Bill. He gets to go to the coolest places, learn the most advanced spells, and he even gets to use Ancient Runes!" Rose said excitedly. Unlike her mother, whose favorite subject was Arithmancy, Rose favored Ancient Runes. Contrary to popular belief, Ancient Runes was not just one single ancient language. It was actually comprised of all the lost, ancient languages. Rose was simply fascinated by them.

Professor Patil smiled. "I'm glad you figured that out Rose. But, Curse-Breaking is an extremely difficult career choice. I'd say it's right up there next to Auror danger-wise. You need to be incredibly fit, quick acting, and innovative. You will also need to complete Ministry and Gringott's level examinations after your NEWTs, plus joint training by both institutions. You're looking at at least three extra years of studying and training before you could even apply for a job. Do you think you're up to it?" Professor Patil asked seriously.

Rose nodded her head vigorously. "I do think I'm up to it. I'm already used to studying hard, and I manage my time very well. I'm also very fit due to Quidditch," Rose said.

Professor Patil nodded her head. "If this is what you want, I'll sign your forms. You do realize that you will have to take all of the classes you're taking now, plus an additional course," Professor Patil said.

Rose was confused. She was well aware that her course load would not be any lighter her 7th year, but she wasn't aware that she would have to add a class! Besides, she was already taking all of the courses Hogwarts offered. "What course Professor?" Rose asked confused.

"It's an Animagus course. It's a new requirement to the program. As I said before, Curse-breaking is extremely dangerous. Some of those ancient spells are deadly or transformative. They do not know what some of those effects the curses will have on the human body if it is hit with them. For this reason, they want all new recruits to be able to change into an animal at will. The curses in those ancient temples, caves, etc. were made to damage the human body. They would be relatively harmless to an animal," Professor Patil explained.

"Oh," Rose said as she thought. Professor Patil took her silence to be discouragement and hurriedly went to assure Rose that she was a bright student who would be more than capable of learning to be an animagus. But Rose wasn't discouraged. She was just wondering what her animal form would be.

Rose was still thinking about it on the train ride home, as she was clutching her freshly signed form in her hand. Rose smiled as she realized that she had the whole summer to think about what animal she'd be, and to do additional research. She could probably even ask her mum, who would most likely jump at the chance to do research. And with those happy thoughts, Rose decided to join in the game of exploding snap that Hugo, Scorpius, and Albus were investing their time in.

* * *

Another chapter over and done with. Next chapter will be summer. And there will be some slight Scorose development. Stay tuned :)


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose sighed to herself as she lay underneath the willow tree in the backyard of the Burrow. It felt like this was the first time that she had actually been able to relax this summer. Predictably, the first couple weeks were devoted to finishing the summer assignments that the professors gave every year (this year the work load doubled since Rose was going into her 7th and final year at Hogwarts), and the following six weeks were spent with her mother tearing into every library and bookstore they could reach so that Rose (and Hermione) could find out more about Animagni. Unfortunately, the only still living animagus that Rose and her family knew, aside from Rita Skeeter whom her mother absolutely forbade her to see even though it would be strictly for "research," was Headmistress McGonagall. Unfortunately, Headmistress McGonagall ventured to a different, "undisclosed country," every summer for some R&R, so Rose wasn't even able to get in touch with her.

Rose's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Briella, her owl. Rose reached over and took the parchment off her owl's leg. Briella hooted happily before taking off towards the direction of the room that Rose and Lily shared.

Rose smiled as soon as she saw who's writing it was: Scorpius. Scorpius had been in France for the whole summer so far, hanging out with his French cousins. Even though Scorpius was busy and having fun with his cousins, he still managed to send Rose a letter daily, even if all it said was, "We had ice cream today. It was really yummy. You'd probably like it."

Rose would never admit it, but Scorpius's letters were the highlight of her day. She had been pretty isolated from her family, aside from her mother, due to research. Today was the first day that she was at the Burrow where the majority of her family was staying. Needless to say, Scorpius's letters gave her that connection that she so desperately needed since her family (due to her father's shoddy advice) decided that it would be too risky to contact either Rose or Hermione when they were in their "research modes" unless they wished to be hexed into oblivion. Rose snorted. It's not like she and her mum were THAT bad…

While Rose could understand her family's reasons for not writing her to an extent, she couldn't for the life of her understand why Hadrian had only written her once over the entire summer! Hadrian had promised that he would write Rose every day, since the Auror trainees ended at 8. Hadrian had assured Rose that he would have time to write, and that if he didn't, that he would explain why before. So Rose wrote a letter to Hadrian every day, expecting to get one back. Except she didn't.

At first Rose had been ok with it. She had figured that Auror trainees would be worked very hard, and that they would probably be very tired. After a while Rose became concerned. What if something had happened during training? But Teddy and James, who were running the trainee program, had assured Rose that nothing had happened to Hadrian, and that yes, the trainees were allowed and did have time to write home. So why wasn't Hadrian writing? Needless to say, Rose's concern quickly morphed into annoyance and hurt. If Hadrian didn't want to write to her, then why would he promise to do so?

The answer came yesterday in the form of a letter. Not a full letter mind you, but only a few sentences letter. The letter said:

 _Dear Rose,_

 _I have gotten all of your letters, but as you know, I haven't responded to them. Things are very busy over here with training and all that. You're a good person Rose, so don't ever forget that. That being said, I think we need to have a talk when I get back. That should be around Christmastime. In the meantime, don't feel that you need to write. I know I've been arse lately._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Hadrian_

Sincerely Hadrian? We need to talk when I get back? Don't feel the need to write? What the actual fuck?! Rose was livid. The first letter that he wrote was this confusing piece of shit, even though he had time and had received the numerous letters she had wrote to him. Oh, he was damn right that they would be having a talk when he got back!

Rose's angry thoughts were startled out of her by her lovely cousin Lily Luna Potter, who thought it would be a grand idea to appear out of nowhere and yell "boo!"

Rose just cocked an eye at Lily, who then came and sat beside Rose.

"Whatcha doing?" Lily asked glancing at the crumpled paper in Rose's hand.

Rose looked down startled. She had crumpled up Scorpius's letter without knowing it as she let her angry thoughts get to her. "Oh it's a letter from Scorp," Rose said as she opened the letter.

"And what does it say?" Lily asked upon seeing Rose's smile.

"He should be back this week!" Rose happy squealed.

Lily cocked her eye at that. Rose did not squeal. It was practically one of her many rules. Do not squeal.

"That's cool. At least now you can take your mind off of that prat Hadrian," Lily said.

'Lily!" Rose said alarmed. "I thought you liked Hadrian? Now you're saying he's a prat?!"

"Yes! What kind of boyfriend doesn't write to his girlfriend without a damn good explanation? And then sends her short letter that only complicates the situation?" Lily asked angrily on her cousin's behalf. "Besides, boys are assholes. Just look at the Brent incident."

Rose rolled her eyes. Lily now referred to her failed relationship with Brent as the Brent incident. Brent's patronizing and sexist ways gave Lily a darker outlook on guys. She was no longer boy obsessed, Rose noticed.

"Lils, just because you had one bad relationship, doesn't mean that all guys and all relationships are bad. You just have to find the right guy," Rose said.

"Yea, but that also means that you might go through a hundred bad relationships and bad guys before you find the right one. Is it worth it?" Lily asked seriously.

"Yes. It is," Rose replied deep in thought. "Love will always be worth it."

"I hope so," Lily said before both girls became lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

Rose groaned as she looked at the busy street in front of her. Why oh why did she agree to go shopping with Lily and Mei? Oh yeah. It was because they insisted that they all needed a new wardrobe before the semester started. Hence the reason that Rose was in Diagon Alley with about a thousand different bags hanging from her arms.

"No! Not another one!" Rose cried as Lily happily pointed out a new store that they hadn't yet visited.

"Awww, please Rose?" Lily begged as she gave Rose her "look."

Rose rolled her eyes and eventually conceded. Once she was in the store she wished she hadn't caved. Lily had freaking dragged her and Mei into a shop with lingerie stationed at the front, with the more practical clothes for men and women at the back! Of course the lingerie itself was very sexual and sensual.

"Lily!" Rose whisper yelled to her cousin mortified.

Lily just rolled her eyes while Mei silently laughed.

"Oh, Rose! Try this on!" Lily said as she threw about four lingerie sets into Rose's unsuspecting arms.

"Omph!" was Rose's clever response as she fell backwards on her butt.

This caused Lily and Mei to burst out into loud and uncontrollable laughter while Rose just glared.

Suddenly a new laugh joined in. A laugh that Rose knew oh so well. Oh no.

"Need a help Rose?" Scorpius asked with a smirk with Albus right behind him. Oh double no.

"Uh…" Rose said.

"Here, let me take these out of your arms," Scorpius said, reaching down for the lingerie before Rose could protest.

Rose was pretty sure she resembled a tomato. Come to think of it, Scorpius also looked like a tomato, as he realized what he was holding in his arms. Albus was red for an entirely different reason than the first two.

"Rose Nymphadora Weasley! Why on earth do you have lingerie?!" Albus all but screamed.

The entire store turned and looked to see who was talking. Great Albus. That was brilliant.

"Hey, don't blame me! Blame your sister! She was the one who threw them at me!" Rose said. She had no trouble throwing Lily under the bus. Just call it revenge for the past seven hours.

Lily glared at Rose as Albus turned his brotherly ire on his younger sister. "Lily Luna Potter. You are too young for these things! No way will dad ever let you wear this!" Albus said as he picked up a lacey thong from within the pile of undergarments in Lily's arms.

Lily blushed, but rolled her eyes anyways. "Please Albus. I've been wearing thongs since the beginning of last year. It happens. At least I waited until I was fourteen to start. There are first years who wear thongs coming in to school! Besides, I don't see you complaining about Mei's choice of underwear!" Lily retorted as she grabbed her thong back from her brother's hands. Needless to say, that one was going back in the bin. No way would she be able to wear it after it had been in her brother's hands. Ok, eww. That thought caused Lily to subconsciously shudder.

Albus blushed as he realized what exactly Mei had in her arms; a lovely mixture of thongs, lingerie sets, and sexy nighties. Mei and Albus were now the ones who resembled the tomatoes.

"I… That is besides the point!" Albus spluttered.

Lily, just rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say Albus. I'm going to go pay for all of these. And these for you Rose," Lily said as she grabbed the lingerie sets from Scorpius's hands.

Now it was Rose's turn to glare. Lily just smirked back. Payback dear cousin, was what her look clearly said.

"Oh great. Thanks Albus. Now she's probably going to buy the both of us horrendously sexy things just to spite you," Rose said as she smacked her cousin in the arm.

"Oi! Don't blame me! It's all of your faults for being here in the first place!" Albus said as he rubbed his arm.

"Uh, why are you guys here?" Mei questioned.

Albus and Scorpius exchanged a look. "We, uh, saw Rose's red hair through the window and thought we'd say hi!" Albus said.

Rose and Mei exchanged an eye brow raise. Albus sucked at lying. Before either of them could call Albus out on his obvious lie, Lily pranced back into the picture with a bunch of new bags bearing the logo of the store they were currently in. This caused Albus to scowl and Scorpius to look away uncomfortably.

"All set! I have my stuff and your stuff Rose," Lily said as she held up the bags. "And no I will not give you your stuff. I'm going to keep it so that you can't return it. Store policy is that as soon as the merchandise leaves the store, it's yours forever. You apparently can't give back lingerie," Lily said before power walking towards the door.

Rose just bowed her head. She knew when she had been defeated.

* * *

Rose, Lily, Albus, and Scorpius were all woken up the next morning to the wonderfully dulcet tones of a pissed off Mr. Weasley. "OI! YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" he roared up the stairs.

Rose and Lily sprang up out of bed and grabbed their robes before running down the stairs. A sound of someone falling out of their bed let them know that they would soon be joined by the boys.

Rose and Lily were sitting on the sitting room couch facing a row of their angry parents, who had incidentally invited the Malfoys as well, by the time Albus and Scorpius made it downstairs.

Rose gulped as Scorpius sat down next to her, and Albus next to him. Scorpius quivered under the glare that was shot his way by Mr. Weasley.

"Ermmm, why are we here at, 6 in the morning?" Lily asked as she glanced at the clock.

Their response was Ron Weasley throwing down a newspaper onto the coffee table. The kids glanced at each other confused before Rose and Scorpius, who were in the middle, picked up the newspaper.

On the front were a couple lovely pictures from their shopping trip the previous day, in the shop with the lingerie. The first picture (sadly the Prophet now could take photos in color) showed Rose, Lily, and Mei looking through the various racks of sexy lingerie. Another showed Lily holding out a particularly sexy one up to show Rose. The next photo showed Scorpius holding up the lingerie that had previously been in Rose's arms while they both looked like tomatoes. The next picture showed Albus yelling at Lily, and the last one showed Lily purchasing the lingerie for both herself and Rose.

Shit. Shit. SHIT! We are so screwed. Rose was pretty sure that those similar thoughts were going around in the others' heads as well for both Albus and Lily had a slight flush to their complexions, and Scorpius had paled under the looks from both his dad and Mr. Weasley. Rose was sure she was looked like how she did in the picture; like a tomato.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?" Ron asked through his teeth.

All the kids looked at each other, but no one dared answer.

Hermione sighed. Really. "Kids, we're not mad about the lingerie—" Hermione started as both Ginny and Astoria also nodded. However, she was interrupted by Ron who said, "Yes that is bloody well what we're angry about!"

Hermione glared at her husband before saying, "No that is NOT what we're upset about Ronald! Our girls are not that little anymore. Rose is sixteen and Lily is fifteen. They can choose what underwear they wear Ronald. It's not like they'll be showing you!"

Ron blanched at the thought. "I know I wouldn't be bloody seeing it, but what if they decide to show some other guys Hermione! We're too young to be grandparents! This "sexy" underwear will only lead to sex and other stuff!" Ron spluttered while Harry nodded in agreement.

"Oh honestly Ron!" Ginny said crossly. "What type of underwear the girls wear wouldn't impact their choices on whether or not they'll be having sex!"

"But Gin…" Harry whined.

"No Harry. I trust our daughter and Rose to make wise decisions," Ginny said. And that was the end of that.

Once it seemed that he was not going to have allies from his family. Ron turned to Draco. "Malfoy! Doesn't this bother you?!" he asked.

Draco just raised an eyebrow. "Why would it? I don't have a daughter, and as far as I can tell, Scorpius doesn't wear women's lingerie."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yes, we are all aware of that fact Malfoy! But what I was referring to was the fact that the paper was insinuating that our children are a couple because they were both seen holding the same piece of lingerie!"

Draco and Astoria exchanged a glance before Draco turned back to Ron. He just shrugged. "Why would I care? I personally think that Rose would be wonderfully suited for Scorpius. She is smart, beautiful, kind, and caring. She'd make the perfect Malfoy wife. Anyways, I'd rather have Rose than Mindy (and by Mindy he means Melissa. He just couldn't be bothered to learn her name) any day," Draco finished sincerely.

Ron just spluttered like a fish out of water. He definitely wasn't expecting that response.

Rose on the other hand was extremely pleased. It was nice to know that the Malfoys thought so highly of her! Scorpius's once pale face now resembled a tomato as he sat glaring embarrassed at his father.

Hermione chuckled behind her hand as she put her hand on Ron's shoulder and steered her shocked husband over to his favorite chair. "Why don't you kids run along. We'll deal with this now. We really just wanted to scare you kids. I know that you thought that you were alone, but you're never really alone," Hermione said sadly. "The wizarding paparazzi will always follow you guys since you are our children. And for that we're terribly sorry. But, you need to remember that they will always be there, and that they will take pictures and then create stories out of them."

Rose, Albus, Scorpius, and Lily all shot out of the room as soon as they were dismissed. Merlin, could that conversation been any more embarrassing? One thing was for sure; that the rest of the summer would be crazy.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

 _Lyrics by one direction. Cheesy I know._

Author's Note: This was first written back when I had a slight obsession with 1D my first year of college. Although I am slightly embarrassed by this fact, I am not changing the song.

* * *

It was absolute chaos at The Burrow, and Rose blamed Teddy and Victoire. It was entirely their fault. They just had to floo over looking adorably perfect before announcing to the packed backyard during the annual Weasley dinner that they were now engaged to be married. While Rose was happy for them and extremely excited about the prospect of the upcoming wedding, she was less happy about the fact that their impromptu announcement had spurred on a "celebratory food fight," as James and Fred called it.

Rose noticed bitterly from her hiding spot under the table that Teddy and Victoire had left as soon as James had held up one of Nana Weasley's pies with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Rose was alternating between calling them cowards for leaving, or geniuses for that exact reason. Rose's thoughts were interrupted by the table cloth being pulled up. Oh no. They'd found her.

"Hey Rosie!" James Potter said in what he thought was an innocent voice. Rose however knew better. She was about to have pie or something thrown in her face.

"James Sirius Potter. Show me your hands right now! I swear that I will KILL you if you throw a pie in my face!" Rose said sounding scarily like an angry Hermione.

"I'm wounded Rosie! How could you accuse me of such a thing!" James said dramatically as he placed a hand over his heart. "Besides, I don't have anything in my hands!" James said as he held out his hands for her inspection.

"But then—" Rose's confusion soon turned to anger as she felt a pie being slammed on top of her head.

Rose whipped around infuriated only to have part of the pie fall down her nose. This only caused James and Fred to laugh louder.

"FRED WEASLEY YOU ARE SO DEAD!" Rose screamed as she struggled to get out from under the table.

By the time Rose emerged, the backyard which now resembled a battle zone, had been deserted. By the sound of things, everyone had gone down to the pond to rinse off, Fred and James included.

Rose was pissed. Fred and James would pay for this. Cherry. Rose hated Cherry Pie. Stupid prats.

"Whoa! What happened to your head?" Scorpius asked as he walked over to Rose. "Never mind that, what happened to the yard?!"

Scorpius had just arrived for an overnight. He had been alternating his days between his parents' home and the Burrow.

Rose took a deep breath before turning to Scorpius. "What happened was that Teddy and Victoire thought it would be a brilliant idea to pop in during dinner to tell the whole Potter, Weasley, and Scamander family that they were engaged. Well, it was a bad idea because James and Fred have been looking for an excuse to start a food fight all summer. So this was their chance. They did it as a means of "celebrating" the new engagement. Merlin! You wouldn't believe that they were both now two years out of Hogwarts. I'm also questioning James's credentials. Should he really be training new Auror recruits? Anyways, I took refuge under the table while Teddy and Vic ran away. The cowards. I thought I was safe, but then James and Fred tricked me and slammed a Cherry Pie down on top of my head. A CHERRY PIE! I HATE CHER—" Rose's rant was interrupted when Scorpius used his finger to catch some of the pie that was running down Rose's nose.

"Mmmm, I love cherry! Man your Nana makes some mean pie!" Scorpius said while sucking on his finger.

Needless to say, Rose was sufficiently distracted. Scorpius had taken his finger, used it to gather pie off of her face, and then licked it.

"I, uh…" Rose said unintelligently.

It was then that Scorpius seemed to realize what he had done. His eyes widened comically as his face flushed. "I… Umm… It was good pie. I'm going to see if there's anymore, BYE!" he called out as he ran back into the house.

Rose too was blushing furiously. She suddenly felt a great need to go join her cousins in the pond.

* * *

Rose was in an upstairs room with all of her female cousins—Victoire, Dominique, Molly, Lucy, Roxanne, and Lily, with the addition of Mei. They were planning Victoire's pre-bachelorette party. It was Lily's idea, since she, Mei, and Rose wouldn't be able to celebrate the real one when they went back to Hogwarts.

And that was why all of the girls were putting on skimpy, summery dresses, and doing each other's hair and makeup while listening to an older boy band called One Direction. Lily was obsessed with boy bands. One Direction, Backstreet Boys, etc.

Dominique was just putting the finishing touches on Rose's hair when Lily suddenly screamed and hauled Rose up onto one of the beds.

"This is my favorite song by them! Come on Rose! Dance with me!" Lily said she grabbed a hairbrush and began to jump on the bed.

Rose normally wouldn't do something like that, but since it was just her family, and the boys were outside playing Quidditch, Rose felt that it was ok to just let go.

"Come on!" Lily said as she started to sing.

 _You're insecure._

 _Don't know what for._

 _You're turning heads when you walk through the door._

 _Don't need make-up,_

 _To cover up._

 _Being the way that you are is enough._

Rose decided to join in at the bridge.

 _Everyone one else in the room can see it,_

 _Everyone else but you…_

Rose wasn't sure how it happened, but suddenly all of the girls were jumping up and down, swinging their hair and singing at the top of their lungs. Someone had magically turned the volume up, so Rose was pretty sure that everyone within five miles could hear them. However, she really didn't care. She was having too much fun with her cousins.

* * *

Scorpius, Albus, and the rest of the guys were outside playing a friendly game of Quidditch when they were distracted by the sudden sound of loud and blaring music. Everyone looked up in confusion.

"What in the heck is that?" James asked with his nose scrunched.

"I believe that is Mr. Romantic's future wife and all of the girl's getting ready for the bachelorette party!" Fred said as he swung an arm over Teddy's shoulder, which then resulted in an elbow war between the two.

"But what are they listening too?" Albus said as he now had to shout over the loud music.

"I don't know! But it's interrupting our game!" James yelled back.

"I say we go and yell at them! Give them a piece of their own medicine!" Scorpius yelled.

"What? Did you say you wanted Eggs Benedict for breakfast?" Lysander yelled over the music.

Scorpius just rolled his eyes. "Never mind! Follow me!" he yelled before taking off in the direction of the music.

Scorpius didn't pause to see if the other guys were following as he made his way towards the room the girls were in. He was about to barge in and start a mock argument with them when he suddenly stopped short.

Scorpius sat on his broom as he watched Rose jump up in down in a short and skintight dress while flipping her hair back and forth and singing at the top of her lungs. That alone was a sight to behold unto itself. Rose never dressed provocatively or wore makeup. She managed to look sexy in a classy way. This look was sexy in a whole different way. And Scorpius could not move his eyes away from the scene in front of him.

Slowly the song lyrics began to infiltrate his brain, which seemed to be in its own happy place.

 _Baby you light up my world like nobody else,_

 _The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,_

 _But when you smile at the ground it aint hard to tell._

 _You don't know oh oh,_

 _You don't know you're beautiful,_

 _If only you saw what I could see,_

 _You'd understand why I want you so desperately,_

 _Right now I'm looking at you an I can't believe._

 _You don't know oh oh,_

 _You don't you're beautiful,_

 _Oh oh oh,_

 _That's what makes you beautiful._

Through his haze of arousal, Scorpius realized one important thing. That he was heads over heels in love with Rose. The one who was always there for him. His best friend. His everything. He was so screwed.

Scorpius could hear Albus and the others getting closer. He had to leave. He was aroused and panicked, and he didn't want anyone to see him in that state, least of all the Potter/Weasley/Lupin/Scamanders, who were all ridiculously over-protective. So Scorpius did the only thing he knew how to do. He flew as fast as he could towards his home.

* * *

Draco and Astoria were down in the sitting room reading when they heard a horrible loud crash and then a string of curse words coming from Scorpius's bedroom.

After exchanging a look, Draco started to make his way towards his son's room. As he got closer, he began to hear snippets of Scorpius's conversation with himself.

"Bloody idiot…"

"What idiot rides a broom while aroused?" Draco raised an eyebrow at that one.

"Better yet, who goes and bloody falls in love with their best friend?! And too late might I add!" Scorpius yelled before kicking his nightstand.

Draco had heard enough by that point and decided that it would probably be a good idea to make his presence known. So he knocked on his son's door.

Silence.

Draco just sighed. You'd think that his almost seventeen year old son would realize by now that not making noise didn't mean that the person knocking didn't know you were in there.

"Scorp. I know you're in there. Your mother and I heard you all the way in the sitting room. Open up. I'd like to talk to you," Draco said to the door.

Suddenly, the door opened a crack.

"Sorry Dad. Don't feel good. Horribly sick," Scorpius said as he attempted to shut the door in his father's face.

Draco wasn't having any of that. He knew when his son was lying.

Draco caught the door with his foot and forced his way into his son's room. That was something that he thought he'd never have to do.

Scorpius was just looking at him with a frown on his face.

"You do realize that it's not nice to barge your way into someone's room _father_ ," Scorpius said with the traditional Malfoy haughtiness.

Draco rolled his eyes. Please. He was the MASTER of the Malfoy haughtiness. Just watch and learn Scorpius. "Yes. But it is even worse to slam the door in someone's face, _son_ ," Draco said.

Scorpius cracked a smile as Draco knew he would.

"Now why don't you really tell me what's bothering you, and why you're home so early from the Weasley's? I was under the impression that you were staying a couple of nights," Draco said as he sat on Scorpius's reading couch.

Scorpius sighed and sank down onto his bed. After muttering incoherently for a few seconds, he turned his surprisingly vulnerable gaze to his father.

"Dad, when did you know you were in love with mom?" Scorpius asked.

Draco was shocked to say the least. While he and Scorpius did talk, it was usually never about love. The closest they had ever gotten to that kind of talk was when Scorpius was dating that blasted girl Mandy. He had to give the awkward birds and the bees talk that neither party really wanted to hear.

"What makes you ask that Scorp?" Draco asked.

"IthinkI'minlovewithRose," Scorpius said into his hands.

"Scorpius. You know I can't understand you when you talk to your hands," Draco said somewhat sarcastically.

"I said that I think I'm in love with Rose," Scorpius repeated more confidently.

"Well it's about time," Draco said to a shocked looking Scorpius.

"Wha, what?! What do you mean it's about time?!" Scorpius all but yelled.

"Well son. Your mother and I had a feeling that this would happen from the moment we formally met Rose. You talked about her more than you did Albus. And it was obvious from the way you looked at her that you absolutely adored her. Well, it was obvious to anyone but you. Speaking of your mother, she owes me five gallons. I bet that you would know before seventh year, while she said that you wouldn't find out until graduation. I had more faith in your obliviousness to the whole situation than your mother did," Draco said with a smirk.

"You and mum bet on my love life?! What kind of sick parent does that?" Scorpius asked incredulously.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that George Weasley is running a large bet on when you will propose to Rose, so I hardly believe that your mother and I are sick," Draco said somewhat offended.

Scorpius just flopped down on his bed.

"But how do I know if this is real love, unlike whatever it was with Melissa? I mean, I think it's real, but how do you know? How did you know with mum?" Scorpius asked.

"Well, to be honest, your mother and I did not love each other at first. We were both in love with other people," Draco said as he held up a hand so that Scorpius did not interrupt. "Your mother and I love each other now, but it was not that way in the beginning. Your mother was in love with the Hufflepuff Ernie Macmillan, and I was in love with Hermione Granger."

"WHAT! YOU WERE IN LOVE WITH ROSE'S MUM? DOES MOM KNOW?!" Scorpius asked panicked.

"Yes, your mother knows. That is why we originally got married. Both of us were in no position to be with the people that we loved, because they obviously did not love us back. Ernie had proposed to Susan Bones before the final battle, and Hermione was madly in love with Ron by that point. Because of our backgrounds and past actions, we were unable to be with them. I was an ass to Hermione, which ruined my chances. And your mum was too shy and too afraid to talk to Ernie because she did not want to go against her father, much like I didn't want to go against mine. We wed because we were friends. She did not want to marry that Bulgarian wizard her dad arranged her to be married to, and I did not want to marry Pansy Parkinson. It was a win-win situation. All that was missing was the love," Draco said as he was remembering his past.

"But you said you and mum love each other now," Scorpius said quietly.

"Yes, I love your mother very much, and she returns that love. The reason that we are able to love each other is because of you Scorpius. You were our gift. Our proof that we were able to create good even though we both had bad pasts. It was in that moment that I realized that I loved your mum as more than a friend. Our friendship and companionship had been growing into love the whole time, without either of us realizing. She was there to help me when I was dependent on alcohol, and I helped her patch things up with her sister. Your mother confessed later that that was also the moment that she realized that she was in love with me too. You really are special Scorpius," Draco said smiling at his son. It was a smile that was full of love. A smile that his own father had never given him.

"Wow," Scorpius said. He had never known that his parents didn't love each other at first. He had only known them when they were in love.

"The reason I told you this story was to show you that love is complicated. It isn't always visible right away. Sometimes love needs to grow. I believe that your love for Rose just needed some time to manifest itself. Just because it takes time, does not mean that love is any weaker. I hope you remember that Scorpius," Draco said before he patted his son on the head and walked out of his room.

Before Draco had fully left, he heard Scorpius say, "I love you Dad."

"I love you too Scorp," Draco said before he walked back downstairs to find his wife. She did owe him five gallons after all.

* * *

Alright, summer is over. Next chapter will be their final year!

Some slight Dramione J


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose smiled to herself as she walked onto platform 9 and ¾ for her last time as a student. It was a beautiful day, much like it had been during her first trip. Her father was beaming with pride that his "little Rosie-Posey" was all grownup, and her mother was trying to hold back tears for that same reason. Her younger brother Hugo, who was going into his 5th year, was trying to escape without being noticed by his mother. Unfortunately for him, Hermione was extremely perceptive.

"Hugo Arthur Weasley! Don't even think about leaving before saying goodbye to your family!" an already emotional Hermione yelled.

Hugo looked sheepish before he gradually shuffled back over to his family, where he received a lecture from his mum about the importance of OWLs, and of the importance of Quidditch from his father. Hugo looked like he could care less about what his parents were saying. He just wanted to board the train.

Ron and Hermione's lectures, albeit very different in content, were interrupted by the arrival of the Potter and Malfoy families. Rose and Hugo, who had managed to escape their mother's fretting, ran up to meet them.

Rose had seen Albus and Lily because they had been at the Burrow with them, but Scorpius had mysteriously left early from what he claimed was a sickness. Rose wasn't sure if she believed him, but whatever it was that Scorpius had had kept him away from the entire Potter/Weasley family for the rest of the summer.

Ron, upon seeing Draco in the crowd that also consisted of Rose, walked up and put his arm around his daughter's shoulder. Hermione had gone over to visit with Astoria and Ginny, who both were trying not to cry.

"Hello Malfoy. It's a fine day, and I do believe congratulations are in order," Ron said smugly from beside Rose.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I agree that the weather is lovely, but I don't know what it is I'm supposed to be congratulating," Draco replied.

"Well you see, Rosie here has been made Head Girl due to her outstanding academic achievements, commitment to equality, justice, and unity, and for being an exemplary role model to younger students! This of course was all in the letter that Headmistress McGonagall sent…" Ron said as he squeezed Rose's shoulders. Rose for her part looked mortified that her father was bragging about her achievements to her best friend's father.

When Ron finished, Draco turned to look at Rose. "Congratulations Rose! Head Girl is truly an honor, and I for one think that you deserve it! Incidentally, Scorpius here has been made Head Boy! You'll be sharing patrols and the Head's Dorm," Draco said the last part directly to Ron, whose look of smugness had transitioned into one that looked like a severe case of constipation.

"But… How is he Head Boy? I thought that he wasn't even a prefect? Albus was the Ravenclaw prefect!" Ron said weakly.

Albus looked up from where he was talking about Quidditch with Hugo and Lily to address his uncle. "I was Ravenclaw's prefect, but I gave it up at the end of last year. I was hoping instead to become Quidditch Captain! You can't be both Head Boy and Quidditch Captain, and since I want to play professional Quidditch, I decided to hand in my badge. That's probably why Scorpius is Head Boy. He was the obvious second choice for prefect, and he automatically became one once I resigned," Albus said with a shrug.

"Did you get the captaincy Albus?" Scorpius asked curiously. While he was happy to be Head Boy, he'd feel really bad if Albus had given up his badge and not got the position he wanted.

"I did!" Albus said happily as he pointed to the badge on his robes.

While Scorpius and Albus high-fived each other, Hermione came back over to see her daughter and husband. Hugo it seemed, and made a dash for the train to avoid the yearly waterworks from his mother, which would only be worse this year since Rose was in her last year and Head Girl.

"Well, it looks like your bother ran off," Hermione said crossly. "But, you'll write to us, right?"

"Of course mum! I write every year!" Rose hurried to assure her mum, who looked like she would start crying any minute.

"I know sweetie," Hermione said with a smile. "I just want you to have the prefect last year. It's something that your father, your uncle, and I never got to experience. Remember to study hard for your NEWTs, and to take your Animagus class seriously! But most importantly, have fun!" Hermione finished as she hugged her daughter tightly and began to cry.

Rose hugged her mum back tightly. "Dad, do you have anything you want to say?" Rose asked.

Ron shook his head, but moved over to give his wife and daughter a giant bear hug. This made both Rose and Hermione giggle.

Suddenly, the train whistle blew signaling that they only had five minutes to board the train before it left the station.

Hermione stood up straight, suddenly very businesslike. "Do you have everything Rose? I hope Hugo got on the train alright. Ron, will you carry Rose's trunk to the Head's compartment?" Hermione asked as she began ushering Rose towards the train.

Before she knew it, Rose was on the train with Albus, Scorpius, Lily, Hugo, and Mei as they watched their parents get farther and farther away. Rose was excited for the new school year, but she had this funny pit in her stomach that told her that something big would most likely happen.

* * *

As the new Heads, Rose and Scorpius needed to meet the prefects in the prefect carriage and go over introductions and rules. On their way to the prefect compartment, Rose and Scorpius ran into Scorpius's ex-girlfriend, Melissa.

Although Rose and Scorpius attempted to ignore her and move down the train, they were stopped by Melissa's taunting voice. "Well, who would have thought? A Weasley and a Malfoy as Heads at the same time?"

As Scorpius turned to tell Melissa off, Rose placed her hand on his upper arm to signify that it wasn't worth getting into it with her this early in the year. They were Heads, and they needed to set the example for the rest of the students.

"What? Too good to address me Weasley? Now that I'm gone it looks like you have Scorpy all to yourself," Melissa said bitterly.

That made Rose turn around. "What are you after Melissa? I have a boyfriend. A fact that you know very well mind you," Rose said just as bitterly as she remembered how Melissa had hurt her.

"A boyfriend that doesn't write to you all summer. How terribly horrible for you," Melissa said with a fake pout.

Rose gaped at Melissa shocked. There is no way she could know about that! "I don't know to what you're referring, Melissa," Rose said. "Now excuse us, for we have better things to do," Rose said as she turned and started dragging Scorpius away.

"Don't be so quick to turn your back Weasley. You don't know who could be waiting to stab you there," Melissa said as Rose and Scorpius hurriedly left her presence.

As Rose walked away, she couldn't shake Melissa's last comment from her mind. It felt as if she was being threatened or warned. Rose shook her head to clear her thoughts. Melissa was in her past. She didn't need to be taking up her present thoughts and worrying her.

"Hello, my name is Rose Weasley, and this is Scorpius Malfoy. We are Head Girl and Boy this year," Rose said as she introduced herself to the prefects. While there were some familiar faces, like Lily and Lysander, there were also faces of recent 5th years that she and Scorpius would need to get to know.

"Although last year was fun, Rose and I hope to make this year more memorable. That means more Hogsmeades trips if we can swing them, and perhaps some balls and dances too," Scorpius said as he watched the prefects watching him with rapt attention.

"We will let you know as soon as we have a schedule for all of the social events this year," Rose explained. "But there are some ground rules that we need to establish."

"As always, the third floor cooridor is off limits to all students," Scorpius said. This had been a rule that had started in Harry Potter's first year, but had been in continuance due to its run-down state.

"As you all know, the Forbidden Forrest is off limits as well. The only times you should be going there is if you have a detention, which as prefects I know you never get," Rose said with a wink. "Or, if you are going there as part of Hagrid's lesson plans."

"As older students, you are responsible for acting as role models for the younger students. After the welcoming feasts, prefects will be leading the new students in their houses to their dorms and explaining the usual rules," Scorpius added.

"We are currently creating a patrol schedule now, so if you have any club or quidditch conflicts please let us know as soon as possible," Rose said as she indicated to the appointment book in front of her.

"Prefects also have the baths available to them, but, we would like to let everyone know that those are to only be used for bathing. There were some instances last year where they were used for other activities, and Headmistress McGonagall wants everyone to know that the baths are a priviledge, not a right," Scorpius said.

"I think that concludes our meeting. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns," Rose finished as the prefects began filing out of the compartment in various directions.

"I think we make a fine team," Scorpius said with a smile.

"I think you're right," Rose replied.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose took a deep and calming breath before saying the password to the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmistress's office. "Animagi," Rose said. All of a sudden, the stone gargoyle began to move so that Rose could climb up the hidden staircase.

Rose thought that the password was ironic, since she was visiting the Headmistress for her very first Animagus lesson. After her first full week of classes that consisted to seven subjects and her Head duties, Rose had gotten a letter from Headmistress McGonagall saying that she would be attending a lesson with her this Saturday.

Rose couldn't help but be excited. She knew that becoming an Animagus was extremely difficult from all of the research that she had conducted over the summer, but she was anxious to begin putting theory to practice.

Rose heard a "Come in," after she knocked on the door. Rose pushed open the door and found three people instead of one. She had been under the impression that she would be the only one in these lessons, but it appeared that wasn't the case.

"Al, Scorp! What're you guys doing here?" Rose asked confused.

"We're here to become Animagi too!" Scorpius said with a smile.

"Seriously Rose. Did you honestly expect Scorp and I to let you have all the fun? I wrote to Scorp over the summer, and we came to the agreement that we would also like to become Animagi," Albus exclaimed.

"What? How did you two manage to keep this a secret from me?" Rose asked amazed. Albus did have a terrible time lying, so it was a near miracle that Rose was none the wiser.

"Yes Ms. Weasley. Your cousin and Scorpius owled me as soon as I returned from my vacation asking if it would be possible to join in our lessons. Under normal circumstances, the answer would have been no. However, Albus and Scorpius both have wonderful academic records and have displayed exemplary behavior. I felt that they too would be up for the challenge," McGonagall said from behind her desk.

"But why didn't you guys tell me?" Rose asked confused, now that her shock had worn off.

"We didn't tell you because we didn't know whether or not McGonagall, I mean the Headmistress, would let us into the lessons. We didn't want to get your hopes up," Albus said with a shrug.

"We were honestly as surprised as you are. We thought that the answer had been no, and that was why we hadn't heard back from the Headmistress. So we were surprised when we got the letter tonight," Scorpius said.

Rose smiled. Although she wouldn't admit it, she was a bit nervous about taking on such a challenging subject by herself. Becoming an Animagi was the highest and most dangerous form of human transfiguration. So much could go wrong. Rose was happy that her two best friends would be coming along for the journey.

"I'm so glad you guys are becoming Animagi too! It'll be like old times," Rose said as she threw her arms around Scorpius and Albus.

A clearing of the throat made the three separate rather quickly. Rose turned around only to be met with the amused face of Headmistress McGonagall.

"Why don't you three sit down so that we can get started," McGonagall suggested as she gestured to the three chairs in front of her desk.

Rose, Albus, and Scorp hastily sat down as they waited to hear what the Headmistress would say next.

"Has anyone else besides Rose looked into what being an Animagi consists of, or researched the topic in general?" McGonagall asked as she looked at Albus and Scorp.

Scorpius and Albus just shook their heads sheepishly. "We know the basics, but that's about it," Albus said.

McGonagall nodded her head. "Very well. I guess then that I should start at the beginning. We will start with the following question. What is an Animagi?" McGonagall asked. She wanted to see how much they already knew, so that she could accurately plan their lessons.

McGonagall was not surprised to see Rose raise her hand. "Yes Ms. Weasley?"

"An Animagus is a person who is able to transform him or herself into their animal counterpart. The process is very difficult, and it usually consists of three main steps. The first is determining what animal you are. In rare cases, your animal counterpart will match your Patronus, but usually they do not. The way in which you determine what animal you are is by reaching deep down inside of yourself. Your animal will represent your innermost personality and desires," Rose said. At a nod from McGonagall she continued.

"The second step is visualization. This is the easiest of the three steps. After determining what animal you are, you need to visualize yourself as it. You can't simply visualize the animal, but you have to visualize it in a way that you become the animal itself. That can be kind of tricky, but it is necessary to move on to the third part, which is the transformation itself. After you figure out your animal, and can visualize yourself as that animal, you can finally begin to try and transform into it. This usually takes time, and is done in steps," Rose finished.

Headmistress McGonagall nodded in agreement before standing up and approaching the trio. "Now you understand that becoming an Animagus is a serious challenge. It will take time, dedication, and patience. Are you up to the challenge?" McGonagall directed this question to Albus and Scorpius, who did not need to become Animagi.

After getting confirmation from them, McGonagall continued on. "We will meet once a month because I know the three of you will be extremely busy with NEWTs, Head duties, and Quidditch. Since we're only meeting once a month, you will need to do some outside research. I will owl to tell you when our next meeting is. But for now, I want you to start researching what your animal counterpart is. It is ok if you don't know by next time, but I would like you to start looking," McGonagall said as the trio stood up to leave the office.

"Do you have any idea of what your animal might be?" Albus asked Rose as they headed back to Ravenclaw tower. He was wondering if she already knew since she had been researching since the summer.

Rose sighed. She had some hunches, and a few animals that she thought might fit her personality, but she wasn't sure yet which one was the right fit. "I don't know yet Al. My Patronus is a wolf, so I'm guessing that my innermost personality reflects that of a wolf's," Rose said as she furrowed her brow in thought.

"At least you can produce a Patronus. We don't start the Patronus lesson for another couple of weeks," Scorpius said.

Rose nodded her head, but she wasn't really listening. She was too busy wondering what her animal counterpart was.

* * *

When Rose, Albus, and Scorpius entered the DADA classroom two weeks later, they were met with the familiar form of one Harry Potter.

"Dad?!" Albus asked in surprise as his father turned to greet them.

"Hello Al, Rose, and Scorp. I'm here to oversee today's lesson," Harry said as their current professor walked in the room.

"Settle down everyone! I know we have a guest today, but we really need to focus so that we can start our lesson on the Patronus charm," Professor Smith, the trio's DADA professor, said as he motioned for Harry to come up and speak.

"Hello everyone. My name is Harry Potter," Harry said. This was met with a chuckle from a few people. "I was asked to come here today to teach you guys about the Patronus charm. Can any of you produce a Patronus?" Harry asked as he glanced around the room. Rose was the only one to raise her hand.

"It's ok if you can't. Patronus charms are NEWT level. The only reason that I was able to produce mine in third year was because I felt that I really needed to know how for some very personal reasons. Can anyone tell me what a Patronus is?" Harry asked the room. Rose of course raised her hand, but Harry decided to let someone else answer.

"A Patronus acts as a shield against Dementors. It is a happy memory projected into a visible substance. It is often viewed as being a force of light against the dark. True dark wizards are unable to produce a Patronus," Scorpius said.

"Very good!" Harry said. "Now, as Scorpius said, the way to produce a Patronus is by thinking of a happy memory. This can't be any memory. It needs to be strong enough to be projected outwards. The incantation is 'Expecto Patronum!' Let's spread out and try producing it. I will walk around and offer assistance as needed," Harry said as every began to spread out.

Rose managed to produce her Patronus within the first five minutes, and she continued to watch her wolf lope around the room. The other students weren't so lucky. The majority were able to produce some silver whisps, but others were unable to produce anything at all.

Rose turned around and watched Albus as he tried to produce his Patronus. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum! EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Albus yelled. His first two times only produced silver whisps, but on his third try, his Patronus appeared.

The whole class 'oohed' as Albus's silver Bald Eagle erupted from his wand with a mighty swoop, and then turned to watch as the eagle and wolf began to play and chase each other around the room.

Scorpius looked as his friend's patronuses and then at his wand in discouragement. He was still unable to think of a good enough memory. Scorpius was still scowling when Rose made her way over to him.

"Hey. You ok?" Rose asked Scorpius concerned.

Scorpius just nodded dejectedly. "Yeah. I'm just a bit discouraged is all. I still can't manage to make a Patronus."

"Well, what memory are you using?" Rose asked curiously. She hoped Scorpius didn't think she was prying.

"I was thinking of the first day on the train when I gained my first two friends," Scorpius said with a smile, which made Rose smile as well as she two remembered back to that day.

"Maybe the memory isn't strong enough?" Rose questioned.

"Maybe. What memory did you use? If you don't mind me asking," Scorpius hastened to add as he watched Rose's cheeks flush.

"I don't mind. You told me your memory after all," Rose said.

"So you'll tell me?" Scorpius asked.

Rose nodded and blushed again. "If you really want to know, my memory was of you!" Rose said as her face grew even redder.

This caused Scorpius to blush too. He was now well aware of his true feelings for Rose, but being the clueless boy he was, he didn't know what to do or how to approach the situation.

So an awkward silence fell between the two as Scorpius ran a hand through his hair and Rose picked invisible lint off her shirt.

'She has a boyfriend Scorpius. Just because she said she was thinking about you when she cast her Patronus does not mean that she still has feelings for you.' Scorpius thought to himself.

But even as he was repeating those thoughts to himself, a memory that he was trying to suppress suddenly made its way to the forefront of his mind.

As Scorpius replayed the memory of Rose jumping up and down and singing at the top of her lungs with her cousins, he shouted, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

The class fell silent as soon as Scorpius' Patronus emerged. Scorpius too was silent, but with shock. His Patronus was a wolf too! Scorpius watched as his Patronus walked over to Rose's and began nuzzling it. Scorpius was even more shocked when Rose's Patronus nuzzled his back.

All of a sudden, the whole class began to break out into murmurs about how Rose and Scorpius had the same Patronus. Rose and Scorpius for their part, refused to look at each other. They both knew what it meant to have matching patronuses, even if the rest of the class didn't.

Harry and Albus exchanged knowing glances. They had figured that something like this would be happening. Rose and Scorpius's patronuses proved what they had been thinking all along; that Rose and Scorpius were soul mates.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

After the surprise in their DADA lesson a few weeks ago, Albus decided that it was his duty to watch his friends closely for any suspicious behavior. Albus knew that both Scorpius and Rose knew what it meant to have matching patronuses. He was anticipating a much needed conversation between the two.

However, neither Rose nor Scorpius would mention that lesson. Whenever Albus tried to bring it up with them, they would both quickly change the conversation topic. Albus knew that they had to talk about it at some point, but he was hoping that the conversation would happen sooner rather than later.

Albus sighed as he walked between his two best friends on the way to Potions. They were both talking to each other like nothing had happened, albeit a bit more politely than usual. But something had happened. If they didn't talk by the end of the week then Albus was going to steal their wands and lock them in a broom closet together. Juvenile, but effective. After all, that's how Teddy and Vic finally got together.

Albus opened the door to the Potions room and was met with the most delectable of smells. It smelled like the air just after it rained, his broomstick, and Mei's perfume. Before Albus knew it, he was standing in front of Professor Slughorn's desk and standing in front of the shimmery potion.

"Mmmmm. What is this Professor?" Albus asked.

Professor Slughorn smiled. "That my dear boy is Amortentia."

Rose gasped. "Amortentia? I thought that we weren't allowed to learn about that potion after what happened to Sylvia Fleming! She was in Teddy's year when she was given Amortentia by this boy in her year that was obsessed with her! She was forced to go out with him and do things that she normally wouldn't do if she hadn't been under the influence of the potion."

Professor Slughorn grimaced when he remembered whom Rose was referring to. Sylvia had been a model student, so everyone was surprised when she suddenly started going wild, partying, and hanging out with a boy who she told her friend's she detested. It was shortly after that that Professor Slughorn had noticed that some of his sample Amortentia was missing. It had all snowballed after that. Once this was noted, it was confirmed that Sylvia had been given Amortentia. Her parents had been furious and had demanded that the potion was no longer a part of the Hogwarts curriculum.

"That was the case Ms. Weasley. However, with the recent events taking place, Headmistress McGonagall, with the backing of the Ministry, has decided that it would be a good idea for all NEWT students to learn about the effects of the potion. We aren't going to be learning how to make Amortentia, but we will be learning the antidote," Professor Slughorn said.

Albus watched as Rose nodded in understanding. The Brotherhood was becoming a bit more active. Marcus Flint, a reformed Death Eater, and Nigel Wolpert, a former DA member and participator in the Battle of Hogwarts on the Light Side, had both recently disappeared. Uncle Harry and her father knew that the Brotherhood was behind it because they had left their insignia at the place that both men had disappeared from. The greater public was beginning to panic. Nigel Wolpert was on the winning side, and had fought against Voldemort. They were confused and concerned as to why a War Hero was also being targeted.

"Why don't you lot sit down and get your Potions gear ready?" Professor Slughorn suggested as the rest of the class began to traipse in.

Albus snickered to himself as he watched his fellow classmates' reactions to the Amortentia. Alexis Brown, the daughter of Lavender Brown, had this extremely goofy grin on her face. Belby, Rose's old tormentor, was drooling.

Albus's eyes narrowed dangerously. He still hadn't forgiven Belby, and neither had Scorpius or the rest of his male relatives who had been at Hogwarts at the time. After Rose had told him about Belby, he had written to Scorpius. They both decided that Belby needed to be taught a lesson. They, and the rest of the Potter/Weasley horde still at Hogwarts did teach him a lesson. Belby hadn't been the same since.

Albus took his seat next to Mei so that Scorpius and Rose would be forced to work together. Usually Albus would work with Scorpius, and Rose would work with Mei.

"What're you doing over here? Not that I'm complaining, but we usually don't sit together in Potions," Mei whispered as Professor Slughorn had begun to discuss the day's lesson.

"It's all part of my plan. You were there when the whole DADA class found out about Rose and Scorpius's matching patronuses. I know they know what that means, but they absolutely refuse to talk about it! So, I decided to make them work together since we're working with Amortentia today," Albus whispered back.

Mei nodded in understanding. "I've tried to get Rose to talk to me about it, but she keeps on saying that it wasn't a big deal, which I know is a lie. She also keeps on mentioning Hadrian and how she's with him and not Scorpius. But, I think she's just using Hadrian as an excuse at this point. She's really pissed off at him for not writing to her. I think she secretly wants to break up with him. She just doesn't want to do it over a letter," Mei whispered.

Albus was about to respond when he was interrupted by Slughorn clearing his throat.

* * *

Rose was snapped out of her musings when she heard Professor Slughorn call on Albus.

"Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class Mr. Potter?" Slughorn said as he addressed Albus who was in the midst of a whispered conversation with Mei.

Al grinned sheepishly before saying, "No sir."

"Very well. Would you mind explaining the properties of Amortentia to the rest of the class?" Slughorn asked tightly. He was a teacher who hated to be interrupted during a lecture.

"Amortentia is recognized by its distinct mother-of-pearl sheen and its spiraling steam. It is the strongest love potion known to man. However, it should be well noted that Amortentia does not create actual love, but only strong feelings of lust and infatuation. It is very dangerous because a person under the influence of Amortentia feels compelled to do whatever it is that the person who gave it to them likes. That is why Amortentia is on the Top Ten Most Deadly and Lethal Potions list at the Ministry," Albus said.

"Very good Mr. Potter. If you're comfortable, will you tell the class what you smell in the potion?" Slughorn pressed.

"I smell the air after a long rain storm, my broomstick, and my beautiful girlfriend's perfume," Albus said with a wink towards Mei who blushed prettily.

"Ahhh, interesting. Do you know what that means Mr. Potter?" Slughorn asked.

"Yes. It means that Mei is the one that I'm in love with. That's another thing that the potion can do. It smells different for everyone. There are usually three to four distinctive smells, and the last is usually the person you're in love with," Albus finished as he put his arm around Mei.

Slughorn nodded. "Albus is correct. Amortentia smells different for everyone. Don't be discouraged if you can't figure out what your last smell is. Rest assured, you will recognize the smell in your significant other when you come across it."

Slughorn paused for dramatic effect as he watched the whole class breathing in the Amortentia. Some looked happy, other's looked confused, and Rose and Scorpius looked sick.

"Alright, open your books to page 397. We will be working on the antidote to Amortentia. All the ingredients you need will be available to you in the student store cupboard. You will be working with the person next to you," Slughorn said.

Scorpius immediately jumped up to get the ingredients while Rose sat at the table with her head in her hands. When did her life get so complicated? First Hadrian was being a right jerk, then she found out that she and Scorpius have matching patronuses, and now she smelled Scorpius in her Amortentia! Everything was so messed up. She thought that she would have been ecstatic to know that she and Scorpius were meant to be, but now everything was just too complicated.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Melissa hurried towards the Hogwarts gates as she tried to ignore the intense cold feeling that was spreading throughout her body. Although this had happened a few times before, she found that she didn't particularly like the feeling. As soon as she stepped outside of the protective barriers around the school, Melissa disappeared with a POP!

Melissa reappeared in the midst of a library full of people. She quickly walked to the front where two men were conversing in hushed tones. Melissa cleared her throat to gain their attention. Bernard looked up in slight annoyance for being interrupted before his face settled back into its usual impassive form.

"Ah, Melissa. You came. I was starting to think you wouldn't show," Bernard said.

Melissa scoffed. "Right. If I didn't come then the cold feeling would only intensify. No thank you!" Melissa said with a shudder.

"Well, any news?" Bernard asked.

"Not really. I mean, Weasley and her friends are SO BORING! All they do is study for NEWTs," Melissa pouted. What was the point in spying on someone if they didn't do anything interesting?

"There has to be something else," Bernard said as he reigned in his temper.

Melissa shrugged in a disinterested manner. "All I know is that Weasley finally decided to be a Curse Breaker after freaking out about it for a couple of weeks. Potter the second is going into professional Quidditch while my Scorpy is going to be a Potioneer. Oh, and that Rose and Scorpius are Head Boy and Girl," Melissa said.

"What about Lily and Hugo? What are they up to?" Bernard questioned.

"Lily is flitting around being the annoying Drama Queen she always is. Hugo is trying to act like James Potter," Melissa said bored with the conversation.

Bernard started to pace as he thought about what Melissa had said. Rose Weasley wanted to be a Curse Breaker. Curse Breakers needed to be Animagi. That was something to keep tabs on.

"Has Rose Weasley been attending any private lessons this year?" Bernard asked.

"No. I mean, she goes to visit the Headmistress with her cousin and Scorpy once a month, but it's probably just because their parents are close with McGonagall," Melissa said dismissively.

"Be that as it may, I want you to go and follow them on their next meeting with the Headmistress. I want to know what they do there," Bernard said as he dismissed Melissa who nodded in understanding.

With another POP!, Melissa was gone.

* * *

"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER, I WILL KILL YOU! YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! BETTER YET, WAIT UNTIL I SET AUNT GINNY ON YOU! STUPID, LYING PRAT!" Rose screamed from where she was stuck in a broom closet with Scorpius, whom she had been trying to ignore out of the sheer awkwardness of their situation. Stupid Albus.

"Rose, Al probably started running the minute he locked us in here," Scorpius said from where he was leaning against the wall. "Yelling and pounding on the door wouldn't do any good."

"Says you," Rose said with a pout. But Rose knew he was right. Albus had confiscated their wands before throwing them both in the closet and magically locking and silencing the door.

Scorpius just cocked an eyebrow in amusement as he tried to calm his nervous stomach. This was the first time that he had been alone with Rose in weeks. Usually Albus, Mei, Lily, Lysander, Lorcan, Hugo, or anyone else would be around them.

Usually Scorpius would have no problems being alone with Rose, but that was before he realized that he had "feelings" for his best mate. Now he didn't know what to do or how to act. Hell, he didn't know if Rose even still had feelings for him. All signs pointed towards no because she was in a relationship with Hadrian. Scorpius mentally growled at the images that brought up.

Rose whipped her head around to stare at him in confusion. "Did you just growl?" Rose asked as she crinkled her nose.

"Uh, no?" Scorpius asked. He was so thankful that it was dark in the closet, or else Rose would be able to see his blush.

"Yes you did. Don't lie!" Rose said. Although he couldn't see her, Scorpius knew that she had rolled her eyes.

"Alright, fine. I growled. Happy now?" Scorpius asked sarcastically.

"Yes," Rose said smugly. "Now you have to tell me why you growled."

"Nope. Not going to," Scorpius said.

"What? Why not?" Rose asked.

"Because I don't feel like it," Scorpius said. Merlin he sounded like a five-year-old whiney kid.

Rose snorted. "Ok sweetie. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Rose said in her "mother" voice.

"Alright fine. I'll tell you," Well here goes nothing, Scorpius thought to himself. "I growled because I was thinking about you and Hadrian."

"So?" Rose questioned.

"Let me rephrase that then. I thought of you and Hadrian together. As in romantically," Scorpius explained.

"You growled because you were thinking about Hadrian and I romantically?" Rose asked. She obviously did not get what he was implying. For the smartest witch in the school, she could be pretty dense sometimes, a trait she unfortunately inherited from her father.

"MY GOD ROSE! I GROWLED BECAUSE I WAS JEALOUS OF YOU AND HADRIAN! I WANT TO BE THE ONE KISSING YOU AND HOLDING YOU AND TELLING YOU THAT I LOVE YOU. NOT HIM! I HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU. STRONG ONES. AND I'VE HAD THEM SINCE THIS SUMMER. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO ACT! ALL I KNOW IS THAT I'VE NEVER FELT THIS WAY BEFORE, AND IT'S JUST SO COMPLICATED!" Scorpius yelled as he smashed his fist into the wall in frustration. "DAMN IT!"

"Here, let me see your hand," Rose said as she scooted closer to Scorpius, who was cradling his right hand.

"Well, it doesn't look broken. Thank God. But, you probably will have swelling anyways," Rose said after she examined Scorpius's hand.

"Thanks," Scorpius said gruffly. After clearing his throat, he said, "So, you going to say anything?"

Rose hesitated. "I don't know what to say Scorpius. All of the signs are saying that we're soul mates and that I love you, but I honestly don't know what I'm feeling right now! I do care for you deeply, and I know I was in love with you once… But right now everything is so complicated! There's Hadrian…" Rose scowled once she thought of her "boyfriend" who was pretty much nonexistent at this point. But the point was that she was still technically in a relationship.

"Rose, you told me that Hadrian hasn't written to you at all after that jerk letter he sent you. You can't honestly say you still have feelings for him!" Scorpius said.

"I don't know Scorpius! I haven't seen him or talked to him in months, so I don't know what in the hell I'm feeling! But the point is that we're still together! I can't do this with you right now while I'm still in a relationship!" Rose whisper yelled despite the fact that the broom closet they were in had silencing spells around it.

"Doing? We're not doing anything Rose! All I said was that I have feelings for you! Now all I want to know is if you have feelings for me too! Yes or no, it's not that hard," Scorpius said.

"Things aren't always yes or no answers! Sometimes things are complicated. You said so yourself! You said that what you were feeling was complicated!" Rose exclaimed as she tried to avoid answering the question.

"No, I said that the situation was complicated, not my feelings. Don't twist my words around Rose!" Scorpius said as he was starting to get annoyed.

"Well, what if my feelings are complicated then? What if it's not just the situation that's complicated for me! Part of me loved you, hell, part of me still loves you! But right now I'm really—" Rose was cut off by the feeling of Scorpius's lips descending on hers in a passionate and hot kiss.

'Wow. So this is what they mean by fireworks,' Rose thought as her eyes closed and she sunk into the kiss. It just felt so right. It was like everything would be ok.

Holy shit! Scorpius thought as he grabbed Rose around the waist and hauled her onto his lap. Scorpius was in heaven. If he had died in that instant, he would have died a happy man. All thoughts left his head as he held Rose in his arms. The only thought that managed to infiltrate through the haze of lust was "mine." Rose was his. That thought made his heart warm and expand.

They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. "Well, I figured I left you guys in here long— Holy fucking shit!" Albus said as he gazed at his cousin and best friend snogging and dry humping like there was no tomorrow. "MY EYES!"

Rose jumped off of Scorpius as if she had been electrocuted. She began fixing her clothes as her face filled with an embarrassed and shameful flush. She had just cheated on her boyfriend with her best friend! Oh, she was a horrible person.

Scorpius just stood there in a daze.

"I LEAVE YOU TWO ALONG SO THAT YOU COULD **TALK** AND WORK OUT YOUR **ISSUES** , ONLY TO COME BACK AND FIND YOU TWO SNOGGING THE HELL OUT OF EACH OTHER! YOU'RE LUCKY I CAME BACK WHEN I DID!" Albus yelled. He obviously didn't know what to make of the situation, and decided that being loud would make everything better.

"What the hell are you yelling about!?" Lily asked as she walked up with Mei, Hugo, and Lysander. "Rose?!" Lily gasped as she took in the scene in front of her.

"OI THAT'S MY SISTER!" Hugo yelled at a still dazed Scorpius.

Scorpius was brought out of his pleasure-induced haze by a painful SLAP across the face. As his brain finally caught up to the scene in front of him, the sight of an incensed, embarrassed, and shamefaced Rose, who was grimacing and shaking her hand out in pain, met his.

"Rosie, I—" Scorpius started.

"Don't, just don't! I told you I was confused you bloody arse!" Rose said as she was shook in anger and frustration.

"But—" Scorpius said.

"But nothing! I trusted you!" Rose said as the tears that had been threatening to fall finally began spilling down her face.

Scorpius was about to apologize again when Rose brushed by him and all of her family members and shot off down the hall.

This left Scorpius alone with the rest of the Potters and Weasleys, plus Lysander. Needless to say, they were NOT amused.

* * *

Whoa! First SCOROSE kiss! Too bad Scorpius has rotten timing. What do you think? What about Rose's situation with Hadrian. What's up with him anyways? He'll be featured again soon, don't you worry. What about Scorpius telling Rose about his feelings? Will Melissa find out about the trio's Animagi lessons? Why does the Brotherhood care? **DRAMA!**


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Albus Severus Potter had never felt more awkward in his life, and this was saying something since he could be a pretty awkward person. All the same, Albus was wishing to be anywhere else than where he was currently sitting.

Albus looked between his two best friends, who were both looking anywhere but at each other, and it was inadvertently his fault. Albus's flawlessly brilliant plan of locking his two best friends in a broom closet together to "figure out their issues" had backfired horrendously. Instead of talking, he had found them snogging heavily!

Albus involuntarily shuddered at the memory. He didn't want to see his best mate snogging and touching his other best mate, who incidentally happened to be his younger cousin by a couple of months. It was just gross. Gross and wrong. If he and Uncle Ron had their way, Rose would remain single until she was married.

But, Albus knew that was wishful thinking. Rose already had a boyfriend, another problem, and she had a bunch of guys interested in her. Not that Rose would notice those things. She was pretty oblivious to the stares that guys gave her. Kind of like how Scorpius was looking—

"OW AL! Why'd you do that?" Scorpius whisper hissed as he turned to look at Albus.

"That's for looking at my cousin! Didn't I warn you not to do that!" Albus whispered back angrily.

While Albus had mostly forgiven Scorpius for the incident that would not be named between the two of them, he still was upset at him for making Rose cry. I mean, Albus understood that love could make you do irrational things. That's the only reason why he forgave Scorpius. It was obvious that he was heads over heels for his cousin, and he had admitted such to Albus.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy. I would appreciate it if you would not whisper while we are about to start our lesson!" McGonagall said annoyed at the two boys, well men, in front of her.

"Sorry Headmistress," Scorpius said while Albus rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I would like to start off this lesson with an apology. I told you at your last lesson that we would be meeting once a month, but that has not happen. Granted, there were reasons why we couldn't meet," McGonagall said with a frown.

Albus would bet all of his Chocolate Frogs that McGonagall was remembering the "Troll Incident" from Halloween. Halloween had fallen on a Friday this year, so everyone had been excited. Everything had gone smoothly until one of the third year Slytherin students had run into the Great Hall to announce that someone had let a young troll into the Dungeons. McGonagall had canceled their lesson that was to be the following day in order to find the culprit behind the troll. Sadly, the culprit hadn't been found.

Albus had his suspicions though. Hugo had started to fill the large shoes that James and Fred had left behind when they had graduated two years ago. He had even seen James, Fred, and Hugo conversing quietly during the summer, no doubt planning something big. Albus wouldn't put it past his brother to come up with the troll idea as part of a "practical joke."

The reason why the trio's November lesson had been canceled was because the Aurors had found Marcus Flint's body a couple days prior. As a result, Uncle Harry had called in all members of the Order to an emergency meeting. Unfortunately, Nigel Wolpert was still missing.

"It is now Decemeber. The Christmas holidays are in a couple weeks. You three can use that time to do some outside studying on your Animagi. However, I would like to know what you have accomplished so far. Have any of you figured out what animal you might be?" McGonagall asked.

The trio nodded.

"Excellent. Why don't you start Mr. Potter? Can you tell us what animal you think you might be, and how you came to that conclusion?" McGonagall asked as she indicated for Albus to start.

"Well, I think that I'm going to be some type of bird. I've actually narrowed it down to what I think would fit me the most personality wise since it matches my Patronus. I think that my Animagi counterpart is a bald eagle," Albus said.

McGonagall nodded. "And why do you feel that those animals match your inner self?"

"Well, the thing that I love the most besides my family and friends is flying. That's why I want to go into Professional Quidditch. There is just something about feeling the air rushing by you. I think that it would be beyond amazing to be able to have wings. I feel like I could be a bald eagle because those birds are strong and majestic. They are also very loyal to their partners and their hatchlings," Albus finished.

"Very good Mr. Potter. I can see that you thought long and hard about this!" McGonagall said as she indicated for Scorpius to go next.

"Well, I think that I might be a wolf. The wolf would suit me because it is extremely strong and powerful. Wolves are also extremely loyal to their mates and their pack. I see myself as both strong and powerful, but also as wise, loyal and cunning. That's actually why the Sorting Hat put me in Ravenclaw. I had traits of both Gryffindor and Slytherin when combined would make a formidable combination. The hat thought that Ravenclaw would be the best house as it would let me utilize all of those traits," Scorpius said.

"I see. That is also a very well thought out answer Mr. Malfoy. Ms. Weasley?" McGonagall turned to Rose.

"I was thinking of a wolf as well. They are beautiful creatures with the ability to rationalize and judge the movements of their prey. I find that I watch people a lot. I have a good intuition. I can usually guess what people are thinking and feeling just by observing them, with the exception of a couple of people. This helps a lot in Quidditch, and I am sure that it will help during my training next year. I would need to be fast, but also be able to change direction at any given moment. Besides, aren't the Anamagi always the same as the Patronus?" Rose asked as McGonagall nodded in confirmation.

This was the first time she had spoken all night. If McGonagall found that strange, then she didn't let on.

"Now that you all have a general idea of what your Animagi could be, I want you to spend a couple of minutes visualizing your animal. If you have two, then you'll have to visualize both to see which one feels more comfortable to you," McGonagall said as the trio closed their eyes in concentration.

It was rare for people to have the same patronuses. It was even rarer for people to share patronuses and Animagi forms. McGonagall found it extremely interesting that both Rose and Scorpius thought of the wolf as their animal counterpart.

The only pair that McGonagall could recall that had matching patronuses was James Potter and Lily Evans. McGonagall now knew that James Potter's animal was the same as his Patronus. While Lily hadn't been an Animagi, McGonagall couldn't help but believe that she and James would have matched in their Animagi forms as well.

"Can you see your animal?" McGonagall asked.

The trio nodded with their eyes closed.

"Good. Now I want you to open your eyes without disturbing the image that is currently in your head. This part is imperative, but also extremely difficult. You will need this level of concentration every time you wish to transform," McGonagall said as she watched the trio slowly open their eyes.

"Excellent, now I want you to take that visualization and think about transforming. Try and really reach into your animal and merge with it. Don't be disappointed if nothing happens on your first go. It may be weeks or even months before you even manage to transform one part of your body," McGonagall instructed.

* * *

By the end of the lesson, the only one who had made any progress was Rose. She had developed fur over parts of her body, which McGonagall had said was a great first start. Rose looked exhausted, but pleased with herself.

The exhaustion, Scorpius could understand. Trying to transform into an animal really took a lot of energy. Not that they had any energy to begin with considering NEWTs, Head duties, and Quidditch practice…

The trio was about to leave the office when McGonagall asked to speak with Rose and Scorpius by themselves about Head duties. Albus nodded and stepped out after telling them that he would wait for them outside.

McGonagall gave Rose and Scorpius a sharp and piercing gaze. "You two are the best Head's that this school has ever seen. However, I am a bit concerned about the lack of communication between you two recently. Has something happened that I need to know about?" McGonagall asked seriously.

Both Rose and Scorpius flushed a brilliant red. Rose began to ramble while Scorpius just shook his head frantically.

McGonagall sighed. It was very obvious by their reactions that something DID happen. It was also obvious that she DID NOT want to know whatever it was that had happened between the two. Hopefully whatever it was wasn't serious enough to come between their friendship or their ability to be Heads.

"It is quite obvious that something did happen between you two, and it is also obvious that it is something I don't want to know. However, whatever happened cannot impact your abilities to be good and responsible Heads. Will you be able to keep your professional and private life separate?" McGonagall asked them seriously.

Both Rose and Scorpius nodded seriously. They both really cared about their position as Heads. They would hate to lose it. They would both get along for that sake of their Headship.

"Wonderful. I also hope that you will not let whatever happened impact your friendship. I've known you Scorpius since first year, and Rose for even longer. I've watched you grow and develop from curious kids into the confident young adults before me. I have also watched your friendship grow and shift over the years. It would be a pity to let something get in the way of a friendship that strong," McGonagall said.

Rose and Scorpius squirmed uncomfortably in their seats. It was like McGonagall knew. That or she could guess what had happened. And here she was giving them advice and telling them not to throw out their friendship over something that could possibly be inconsequential in the long run. Not that the kiss was inconsequential or anything, but maybe now just wasn't the time for that. Their friendship had to come first, and they'd be damned if they lost it.

Eventually, they both nodded. Then they looked at each other and smiled towards each other for the first time in weeks. Everything would be ok.

"Now that that has been cleared up, we can get down to business. I would like to throw a Yule Ball for the students. They have been exceptionally well behaved this year, no doubt because of your influence among your peers. The only slip-up was the Troll Incident, but even that wasn't as bad as when your parents were younger seeing as this troll was just a kid and was more interested in giving people hugs than bashing their Heads in," McGonagall said with an amused smile. That was after all what had freaked that third year Slytherin out. A troll tried to give him a hug. That really was one for the books.

Rose gasped in excitement while Scorpius looked on amused. McGonagall smiled in amusement. Both of their responses were typical for the majority of their respective genders.

"I would like you two to plan the ball. You can choose the theme, decorations, style of clothing, food, and music. The ball will be held the last Friday before beak, which is roughly two weeks from now. Feel free to assign these tasks to your prefects. You can also ask myself or any of your professors for help. We will also be hosting dance lessons the two Wednesdays before the ball. Attendance is required if you wish to go to the dance. As always, the dance will be 4th year and higher. Perhaps you can think of an alternative activity for the younger years so they don't feel as left out?" McGonagall suggested.

Rose was nodding excitedly. She was already laying down plans in her head. Rose was about to ask one of her many questions when she was interrupted by Albus running back into the office. Only this time he was out of breath, and he had ink and feathers all over him.

"Someone is fighting with Peeves in an adjacent corridor. I heard a commotion and went to check it out. The next thing I know I'm covered in ink and feathers! I ran to get you Headmistress because it keeps getting worse! I'm surprised the whole school hasn't woken up!" Albus said.

McGonagall immediately stood up and began to hurry down the stairs, with Rose and Scorpius right behind her. As Heads, they had a duty to go with their Headmistress if there was any possibility of danger. Albus was running behind them trying to keep up.

The sight that met them was astounding. Melissa, like Albus, was covered in ink and feathers. She was also attempting to duel with Peeves. Peeves did not take lightly to this, and was chucking everything he could reach towards Melissa. Needless to say, the hallway was trashed. There was water overflowing from the bathroom, scorch marks from Melissa's spells, and ink and feathers everywhere. Even the occupants of the paintings had left seeing as some of their frames were destroyed.

"MELISSA! PEEVES! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TWO DOING!" McGonagall screeched enraged.

"He started it!" Melissa yelled as she tried to hex Peeves again.

"Peeves only came to see what this trouble maker was doing. She was spying on these three she was," Peeves said as he pointed to Albus, Rose, and Scorpius. He then blew a raspberry towards Melissa.

"I was not you lying, sick, joke of a ghost!" Melissa yelled as she raised her wand once again.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" McGonagall yelled once she had gotten over her shock. "Students are absolutely forbidden to use magic in the corridors! And what is this about spying?" McGonagall asked Peeves.

"Peevsies was following her there because she was acting all sneaky–like and following the young Potter, Malfoy, and Weasley. So Peevies asked what she was doing. Said none of my business, so I tried to make it my business," Peeves said as he crossed his arms and flipped upside down.

McGonagall took a deep and steadying breath. Of course Peeves would make any situation worse. "Peeves, you have 30 seconds to get out of my sight before I set the Bloody Baron on you," McGonagall said.

Peeves eyes widened before he zoomed off down the hall, cackling madly.

McGonagall then turned to Melissa. "I would like to know why you were out of bed past curfew," McGonagall asked seriously.

"I was looking for the kitchen," Melissa said as she tried to appear innocent. It wasn't really working considering her and the hallway's current state.

Scorpius snorted. He was calling bullshit. "Please, the kitchen is in the dungeons, not the 7th floor! Don't lie! You were following us!" Scorpius accused angrily.

Melissa was about to retort but was cut off by McGonagall. "Let me handle this Mr. Malfoy."

Melissa's smug look disappeared after hearing what McGonagall said next. "Detention every day until I say otherwise! You've broken numerous school rules including being in the hallways after curfew, using magic in the hallways, desecrating school grounds, and attempting to duel! And yes it is fair! I want you out of my sight, but back here tomorrow with a mop and broom. You will be cleaning this mess as the first part of your punishment, without magic! Now go back to your dorm!" McGonagall yelled as Melissa sulked off.

McGonagall sighed wearily as soon as Melissa disappeared around the corner. She would be retiring as soon as the last Potter and Weasley left school.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose looked around the prefect common room at all of the talking prefects. Lily and Lysander were the new Gryffindor prefects (Hugo became Quidditch Captain this year to the pleasure of her father), Lorcan and Emilia were the new Ravenclaw prefects, Adam and Sarah were the new Hufflepuff prefects, and William Nott and Daisy Parkinson were the new Slytherin prefects. Lily and Daisy did not like each other. That much was clear from the way they were glaring at each other from across the room.

Unluckily, Lily had gotten both her mother's stubbornness and feistiness, and her father's ability to be fiercely loyal and protective of his friends. Those traits were a lethal combination. Daisy Parkinson had gotten her mother's annoying voice, her pug nose, and her ability to gossip and talk behind people's backs. And right now, Daisy was bad mouthing both Lysander and Lorcan, the sons of Lily's godmother, Luna.

Lily's eyes kept on getting narrower and narrower as her face got redder and redder. It seemed like Lysander, who was whispering in her ear, was unsuccessful in calming her down. Rose decided that everyone had had enough time to talk, and that it was high time they started the meeting. They really did not need to have a fight in the prefect's common room.

"Ms. Parkinson, do you want to share what you're currently talking about with the rest of the Prefects?" Rose asked in a decidedly cool manner.

Daisy flushed when she noticed that everyone had turned to look at her before she shook her head no.

"Good, because Scorpius and I would like to start the meeting," Rose said as she looked at Scorpius to start. They had rehearsed their speech until it was to their liking.

After their lesson with the Headmistress, Rose and Scorpius had had a serious heart-to-heart. Scorpius apologized for kissing her without her permission, to which Rose responded, "But I did kiss you back." Rose apologized for slapping him, freaking out, and leaving him at the mercy of her overprotective cousin Albus, and her quick-to-anger younger brother Hugo. Hell, even Lily could be a right pain when angry. She was like a miniature Ginny in that sense.

Anyways, they both agreed that they wouldn't talk about the kiss until everything was settled. Rose was still with Hadrian, but she had sent him another rather long letter in which she said that they would be having a long, and serious talk over Christmas Break.

"Alright. Rose and I have some fantastic news. Headmistress McGonagall has given us permission to hold a Yule Ball for all fourth years and older!" Scorpius said.

After waiting for the buzz to die down, Rose started to speak. "As Heads, we were given the green light to choose the theme, type of dress, food, music, decorations, etc. for the ball. We would like to use this meeting to plan all of that. I want each set of prefects to come up with their ideas and put them in the hat up here. After everyone has done that, we'll read the list off and vote on what is the most popular."

"While you're thinking about the ball, we would also like you to be thinking of an alternative activity for the younger grades that would be happening around the same time as the ball. The Headmistress has stressed that she wants the younger years to feel included, even if they are not old enough to attend the ball," Scorpius added.

"Ok, you all have a half an hour to plan for both the ball and the younger students. Any questions?" Rose asked. "Alright, then let's get to work!" Rose said as she waved her wand.

Scorpius and Rose watched as the paper and quills floated to each pair around the room, who eagerly grabbed them and started throwing ideas back and forth. Lily was particularly happy. She loved fashion and balls. This was right up her alley.

"Ready to plan Rose?" Scorpius asked as he grabbed an extra piece of paper and a quill.

"Of course Scorpius. I do have a ton of ideas," Rose said with a smile as they sat down to bounce ideas off each other.

* * *

"Ok! Time is up. Would everyone please put their ball ideas in the hat?" Scorpius asked as the hat flew around to each pair.

Once the hat flew back to the front of the room, Rose decided to pull out the first paper. "Alright, our first theme is: Sexy Secret Santas…" Rose trailed off as her eyes skimmed the rest of the paper.

Scorpius grabbed the paper out of Rose's hands to read it himself after he saw how narrow Rose's eyes had gotten.

"Whose idea was this?" Scorpius asked as he waved the paper in the air. When no one bothered to answer, Scorpius decided to read off of the list.

"Alright, maybe this will refresh your memories. Theme: Sexy Secret Santas. Style of Dress: Lingerie for the girls in the different Christmas colors complete with Santa hats, and/or reindeer and elf accessories. Dress robes for the boys. Food: Roast Beef, Lobster, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Chick French, and Shrimp Scampi. Christmas cookies for dessert. Music: The Phoenix Boys. Decorations: Christmas colors and Santa," Scorpius glared at the room once he finished reading.

"Did whoever wrote this really believe that McGonagall would allow us to have a theme called 'Sexy Secret Santas' and wear lingerie to the ball?" Rose asked incredulously.

Lily snorted. "That's a horrible idea! The only things that are salvageable are the food and music," Lily replied. She obviously was not a fan of the lingerie for clothing idea either. I mean, lingerie for clothes was so ten years ago.

"Well, let's see you come up with a better idea Potter. Just because you don't have the body necessary to wear lingerie doesn't mean the rest of us don't," Daisy snapped back obviously offended.

Lily's face turned red as she started to stand up. Rose was about to interject, but before she could, Scorpius started speaking.

"Lily, sit down," Scorpius commanded. Lily surprisingly did as he asked. It must have been his commanding tone. Rose would need to ask Scorpius to teach her how to do that.

Rose was brought back to the present by Scorpius rounding on Daisy. "Nott. Was this your idea?" Scorpius asked. Daisy flushed as she realized her outburst probably wasn't the smartest move. Nott just smirked and waggled his eyebrows. "Well I guess that answered my question. I want both of you to leave the meeting. If you can't be serious and contribute anything positive, then there is no need for you to be here. Rest assured, McGonagall will be hearing about this," Scorpius said as he verbally kicked the newest Slytherin prefects from the room.

After they left, Scorpius sighed. "They didn't even come up with anything for the younger years," Scorpius whispered to Rose who nodded solemnly.

She completely agreed with Scorpius's decision. Prefects were supposed to be reliable and set the example for all of the other students. Daisy and William were obviously not taking their job seriously. Rose would bet all of her Chocolate Cards that the only reason why they were made prefects in the first place was because of their grades. Although they were both prats, their grades were pretty exceptional.

"Alright, let's just move on," Rose said as she went to pick out another piece of paper.

Rose and Scorpius were both exhausted by the end of the meeting. No one had wanted to vote on just a single list. Instead, they had had to combine different aspects of each list in order to make everyone happy. Ironically, everyone had agreed on Daisy and William's food and music choices.

The final list stood as follows:

 _Theme: The Gift of Christmas_ \- Lily and Lysander had come up with the idea of making the Yule Ball into a Charity Ball. They were going to charge the student body for both their tickets and their dinner, but all proceeds would go towards bringing Christmas joy to all of the families who were not fortunate enough to have a happy Christmas.

Rose had beamed at her cousin with pride when she had suggested that in front of all of the prefects. She could see a future Head Girl in Lily, provided that she focused a bit more on school, controlled her temper, and cut down some of the dramatics. Oh well, she still had the rest of the year to try and convince her cousin to tone it down a bit and become a bit more serious.

 _Style of Dress:_ _Whiteout_ \- Instead of a black-tie affair, everyone wanted to wear white everything, with the exception of some of the accessories which could be in any Christmas color.

 _Decorations:_ While everyone would be required to dress in white, the Great Hall itself would be transformed into a sea of Christmas colors and decorations. All of the prefects would be pitching in to help next Thursday evening to help decorate.

 _Food:_ Everyone would be able to choose one of the following entrees which would be prepared by the House Elves in the kitchen: Roast Beef, Lobster, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Chicken French, or Shrimp Scampi. There would be an assortment of appetizers and sides to go along with the entrees. The dessert would be the Christmas cookies.

 _Music:_ _The Phoenix Boys-_ They were the most popular band to date, and Rose knew for a fact that 95% of the student population were fans. If they could book them, then the ball would be a success.

Rose smiled as she finished writing the final list. McGonagall would most likely approve of this one, unlike the majority of the list that Daisy and William provided.

Rose was startled when Scorpius came over. That must mean that he was done writing the final proposition for what the younger years would be doing while the older students were at the ball.

"I think that having the younger years making Christmas cookies, and other Christmassy desserts to put into gift baskets is a wonderful idea. It goes right in hand with the theme of our ball," Scorpius said.

Rose nodded in agreement. "The younger years will be down in the kitchens with the House Elves. Hopefully this will be cleared. I'm sure the House Elves and the students would find making the cookies both fun and delicious," Rose said. The younger years and House Elves would be allowed to eat the cookies they made after all of the gift baskets were made.

"Why not add some of the left-over food that we'll have from the ball to the baskets as well?" Scorpius asked.

"That's a good idea. We can also maybe start a clothing and gift guide around school. Anyone who has spare clothes or who would like to buy a small gift this upcoming Hogsmeade weekend could add it to the boxes we'll leave around school," Rose added.

"I'll ask my dad to do that at work. Our company has a lot of wealthy patrons. I'm sure my dad can either convince or guilt them into helping," Scorpius said as he added the changes to his sheet.

"I'll do the same with my Dad. The Ministry should be supportive. Besides, maybe this will help raise awareness about those who still don't have enough in the wizarding community," Rose said as they began to walk towards the Headmistress's office.

Unfortunately, despite the renovations and the relief money that had come pouring in after the war, there were still some people who had not recovered financially. They had only joined those in the wizarding world who had already been living in poverty.

While her mother and Kingsley, the Minister, were trying to raise awareness for the issue, the rest of the Ministry believed that there were more important things to worry about. Before it had been a whole bunch of different issues, but now the excuse was the Brotherhood. Both Rose and her mother thought that the reason why most of the Ministry was denying that people were living in poverty was that they didn't want to acknowledge the fact that WIZARDS could be poor.

Unfortunately, to her mother and Uncle Harry's anger, they were going about this the same way they had gone about with the return of Voldemort. At least they were acknowledging the Brotherhood, which was more than they had done during her parent's and Uncle Harry's time at Hogwarts.

However, acknowledging wizards in need was something that the Ministry turned a blind eye towards in fear of turning into what muggles in America dubbed a 'welfare state.' Rose, her mother, and the majority of her family strongly believed that the state was composed first and foremost of people, and that the needs of the people should be upheld and supported by state-run initiatives. This was especially important to Rose because she knew that her father and her family had struggled financially, and that it was only after the war that they were able to feel financially secure.

Although Rose did not wish to work for the Ministry like her mother, she hoped that taking initiatives while in school could help to prepare her for more serious initiatives after she herself was financially stable.

While Rose was excited about the materialistic side of the ball, she also wanted the ball to succeed so that all families would be able to celebrate and have a happy Christmas.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

"OHHH! Rose, you NEED to try this one on!" Lily Luna Potter said as she threw yet another fancy dress into Rose's already full arms. Lily ran over to another part of the store to search for more dresses before Rose could respond.

"I can't believe you guys are actually making me try on this many dresses! Why couldn't we just gone with the one I picked out first?" Rose whined to her best friend Mei.

Mei chuckled at her friend's antics as she browsed the rack for more dresses. "Rose, you know very well why we couldn't have let you buy the first dress you tried on. It had a ridiculous white peacock plume and a peacock headdress to match! Honestly, Lily and I had no IDEA what you were thinking when you tried it on. We thought you were joking, until you said you were going to buy it," Mei said as she picked out another dress for Rose to try on.

"But, you and Lily told me that feathers were in fashion! As far as I know, peacocks have feathers," Rose said confused and exasperated.

"Rose, feathers ARE in. But, whole birds are NOT. You can't wear a dress that makes you look like a bird! For one, it's not Christmassy. Two, it hides your body and half of your face!" Mei said as she glared at the offending dress on the reject rack.

The dress that Rose picked out WAS white, but it was also horrendous and impractical. That's why Mei and Lily, as her best friends, decided that it was their duty to help Rose pick out a fabulous dress. Not too fabulous though, as they didn't want her 7th year ball gown to overshadow her future wedding dress. Mei sighed. The prefects had thought that it would be a wonderful idea to wear all white, but Mei knew better. Tons of girls were picking out wedding dresses! It was quite ridiculous.

Mei was looking through the last rack of dresses on her side when Lily bounded over with five more dresses for Rose to try on. Mei smirked as she heard Rose's torturous groan.

Rose liked shopping, she really did. She just hated dress shopping since she never wore dresses. She was a skinny jeans/jeggings/leggings type of girl. The only time Rose could remember wearing dresses was when she was little, and her mother had forced her into wearing them to 'look nice' for the parties at the Burrow.

Mei went to go get one of the attendants while Lily helped Rose carry all the dresses into the dressing room. Rose looked at all the dresses. Mei and Lily had picked out 27 different dresses. Sweet Merlin.

"Lily, you do realize that the whole hour and a half we've been in the store has been spent searching for my dress. What are you and Mei going to do?" Rose asked as she started sorting the dresses on the rack in no particular order.

"Please, Mei and I wouldn't have any trouble with our dresses. It was you we were worried about. I mean, what were you thinking when you picked out that peacock dress?!" Lily asked incredulously.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Ok fine. But if we're pressed for time later, you can't blame me!" Rose said as Lily walked out the door to give her some privacy.

"I wouldn't!" Lily called from the other side of the door.

* * *

"It's hideous!" Rose cried as she took in the dress she had on. It was white, skin tight, and it had a huge slit up the side that showed way too much leg for Rose's liking.

"You've said that about all of them!" Mei said from outside.

"Rose, none of the dresses looked hideous. You just didn't like them. Come out and show us this one like you did the rest!" Lily called.

Rose groaned, but opened the door nonetheless. Mei and Lily's eyes widened comically. Even their attendant's eyes widened. "See, even you guys think it's hideous!" Rose said as she tried to hide her blush.

Lily and Mei exchanged a glance. "We don't think it's hideous, but it's definitely too revealing and sexy to wear to the ball," Lily finally said.

Rose looked at herself in the mirror and grimaced again. The dress fit like a glove. It managed to hug her skin while pushing her boobs up and making her ass look much more prominent than she was used to. Every time Rose walked, the slit in the dress would open up, revealing Rose's long and toned legs. In other words, the dress was everything she was trying to avoid.

"This is hopeless!" Rose said as she went in to try on her last dress.

Rose was afraid to open her eyes. This was the last dress. If this one didn't work, then she would be forced to pick one of the other ones she had tried on. They just didn't have enough time to go to another store.

Rose slowly opened her eyes.

The dress was perfect. It was simple, but beautiful. The dress was full length and strapless. The dress had a fitted bodice that flowed out gently at the waist. The bodice of the dress had an intricate pattern of small golden stones that added color to the dress without being too showy. Rose hoped that Lily and Mei approved of this one, because she really wanted it.

When Rose stepped out of the dressing room, Mei and Lily both gasped. The attendant had a knowing smile on her face. "That's the one!" "You look beautiful!"

Rose nodded to the attendant who then made her way over to do the measurements and fittings. The dress needed to be a bit shortened, and there needed to be a bit taken in at the waist. Other than that, the dress was perfect. The attendant assured Rose that the dress would be ready in time for the ball, and that she would floo the dress directly to the Headmistress so that Rose would be able to pick it up.

Once Rose was done, Mei and Lily all but ran to see what dresses they could find. Surprisingly, they both only picked out three dresses, and went immediately to try them on.

After about a half hour, Lily decided that she wanted the one-shouldered dress with the diamond details. It was a bit flowy and airy, but it would look magnificent on her slender and tall cousin.

Mei opted for a boxish dress that she would be accessorizing with a silver belt at the waist. Although it didn't look spectacular, Mei would be able to do more with jewelry and accessories than Rose or Lily could.

After Mei and Lily had gotten their dresses fitted, the girls walked out of the store. They were heading towards the Three Broomsticks for a well-deserved lunch break. After they were finished with their lunch, the girls would go shopping in search of shoes and accessories.

* * *

The girls were just leaving the Three Broomsticks when a gigantic "BOOM!" tore through the air. Rose, Lily, and Mei looked around to see the source of the sound. The girls gasped as they saw that the shoe store a little ways down was nothing more than a pile of smoke and rubble. The girls exchanged terrified and horrified glances. They had been heading towards that store. If they had arrived five minutes earlier…

Hogsmeade was oddly silent, and the faint sounds of apparation could be heard. No one really panicked, because they thought that it was the Aurors. Everything was silent, until a scream ripped through the air.

Rose turned her head to see one of her class mates, Evanna Samstone, writhing on the ground in pain. That's when the chaos started. More wizards and witches took out their wands and started cursing everyone within their reach. It was impossible to tell who the aggressors were, because everyone was dressed in weekend clothes.

Whoever these people were didn't feel the need to hide behind terrifying masks. But that's what made everything so much worse. No one could tell who was a friend and who was an enemy. Everyone was just cursing everyone. It was complete madness.

Rose could hear the faint sounds of apparation over the screams and yells. She could hear her father and her Uncle yelling and dueling. Rose looked to her left and right to make sure that Lily and Mei were still with her. Both girls were, but they seemed to be in shock, like she was.

Rose was brought back to earth when a particularly nasty spell went soaring over her head. It had been so close that she had felt it ruffle her hair. Rose hurriedly took out her wand, and then nudged her friend and cousin so that they could do the same. Rose would use magic if she needed to, but only in defense. She didn't want to be responsible for hurting an innocent person.

"Come on!" Rose said as she motioned for Mei and Lily to follow her. The best thing they could do was get to the castle. They would try and help any friends they could along the way, but there wasn't really anything anyone could do. The streets were filled with dust, smoke, and flying spells. Rose couldn't even see five feet in front of her face.

Rose whipped around when she heard Lily scream out. Mei was behind her, but Lily was nowhere to be found. Rose screamed out the first spell that came to her mind. "LUMOS MAXIMA!"

A light, as bright as the sun, erupted from the tip of Rose's wand. Rose could suddenly see through the smoke and all of the dueling couples. She could also see a strange man pulling her cousin down an alley by her hair. Lily was struggling and screaming, but no one was paying her attention as they were too busy with their own duels.

Rose ran after the man, with Mei right on her heels, just in time to see another man apparate away with an unconscious Evanna. It looked like the man who had Lily was about to apparate as well. Rose wasn't having any of that. "DEPULSO!" Rose cried as she pointed the wand at the man holding Lily.

Rose watched in satisfaction as the man flew away from Lily and smashed into the opposite wall. Rose ran over to see if her cousin was all right. Lily evidently was, because after she got to her feet albeit a bit shakily, she started kicking the man furiously. Lily then bent down and snatched the man's wand from him. Lily was about to curse him, when Rose pulled her away.

"Lily, we need to get back to the castle! I need to talk to Headmistress McGonagall! I need to report that Evanna has been kidnapped, and see if there is anything else I can do to help. We need to leave the fighting to our fathers and the Aurors!" Rose said.

Lily nodded, although a bit grudgingly. As they turned to leave, Rose shot a quick 'INCARCEROUS' at the man to make sure that he would not be able to escape. Rose also marked an X above him, so that the Aurors knew that he was one of the bad guys.

Rose remembered from the stories that her dad told her when she was little that the Aurors would do that to mark the bad guys from the good guys in situations that were extremely chaotic or dangerous. Now seemed like a good a time as any to start applying what she had heard in stories to real life.

* * *

Rose, Lily, and Mei were running towards the castle when a spell that was cast from behind caused the three of them to trip and then fall. Rose watched in horror as her wand rolled across the road and into the bushes. Rose didn't have time to retrieve her wand before the people who attacked them were upon them.

Rose watched as Mei dueled two wizards while Lily dueled a witch. Lily wasn't doing too well, since she was using the wand of the man that attacked her. The wand chooses the wizard, but Lily had never done anything to warrant the wand's loyalty. If the wand was to work for anyone, it would be for Rose since she was the one who had cursed the man. But Rose couldn't really relay that message to Lily since she was too busy dodging spells.

Rose was starting to panic. Lily was losing her fight, and Mei was visibly getting tired from dueling two people at once. She didn't have a wand, so she couldn't help. 'Accio wand, Accio wand, ACCIO WAND!' Rose repeated in her head as she dodged a particularly nasty curse.

Rose was surprised when her wand suddenly flew into her hand. Her surprise soon turned into anger as she saw Mei get thrown across the road and into the forest. Rose picked up where Mei had left off and was now battling three people. Lily was still holding her own, but she was losing strength and had a couple of nasty bruises from hexes.

Rose, although a talented witch, was finding it hard to fight three people at once. She could easily say that she was relieved when Scorpius, Albus, Lysander, Headmistress McGonagall, and all the other professors came barreling down from Hogwarts.

Headmistress McGonagall and the rest of the professors headed towards the village while the boys came to help her and Lily. Lysander rushed over to help Lily, while Scorpius and Albus helped her. Rose let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. The fight had evened out, and was now even swinging in their favor.

"Where's Mei?" Albus asked as he started dueling with one of the wizards that hexed Rose.

"I don't know! She was fighting those two at the same time, when one of them sent her flying that way!" Rose yelled as she indicated towards where she had seen Mei fly with her head.

"STUPEFY!" Albus yelled as he knocked the wizard that he was dueling out cold. "INCARCEROUS!" Once the man was bound, Albus rounded on Rose. "Why was she fighting two wizards at a time?!" Albus yelled.

"I lost my wand when they first attacked us. It rolled across the road, and I didn't have time to get it before they caught up to us!" Rose said as she dueled furiously.

Albus was about to retort when Scorpius angrily cut him off. "Al, give it a rest! We're still dueling, if you hadn't noticed. This really isn't the time or place to be interrogating Rose! Go find Mei and make sure she's ok!" Scorpius said as he flicked his wand. The wizard he was dueling let out a howl as his front teeth started growing to an enormous size. Albus muttered darkly, but did as Scorpius said.

Rose, who was very angry at this point, decided that enough was enough. Rose shot the Bat Boogey Hex at the witch she was dueling when the witch took a breath and watched in satisfaction when the witch was suddenly attacked by flying boogies.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Rose called out so that the woman wouldn't be able to vanish the boogies. "INCARCEROUS!" Rose yelled. Rose watched as ropes appeared out of nowhere and wrapped themselves around the struggling witch. The witch fell over onto her back, and lay there as the boogies ruthlessly attacked her.

Lily and Lysander, were panting hard. The wizard they had been dueling was unrecognizable. It looked like they had tried to transfigure him multiple times. Rose almost felt bad for the bloke.

Scorpius was the last to knock his guy out. But when he did, everyone immediately plopped down on the ground in exhaustion. Rose rested her head on Scorpius's shoulder, and Lily cuddled into Lysander's embrace. Now that they were safe, the trauma of her almost kidnapping was obviously catching up to her cousin, who was openly sobbing.

Rose looked up to see Albus carrying Mei over bridal style. Rose and Scorpius jumped up to see if they could help.

"Is she ok?" Rose asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Mei answered weakly. "I was just knocked out for a bit, and I think my legs are broken from the impact. I'm just lucky Albus was able to hear me," Mei said as she looked gratefully at Albus. Albus's face was grim, but Rose could see the fury in his eyes.

The four of them were suddenly on alert at the sound of more people approaching. Lily and Lysander, too had heard them. They had both stood up, and Lily was trying furiously to wipe the evidence of her tears from her face.

Albus, gently set Mei down and out of the way before putting some protective charms around her. Albus then joined everyone else for battle number 2. Except, the people who came around the bend were not the enemy.

"Dad!" Lily yelled as she began to limp towards her father. Rose was right behind her.

"Wait!" Albus yelled as Scorpius and Lysander pulled Rose and Lily back towards the group. "How do we know you're not imposters?" Albus asked suspiciously. He didn't want to take any chances after what happened to Mei.

Harry Potter stepped forward. "My name is Harry James Potter. I am Head Auror, my wife is Ginny Potter, and my three children are James, Albus, and Lily. When you were younger, I used to call you Albie-O, and I used to call Lily, Lily-Pad," Harry said with his hands up in a placating manner.

Albus and Lily blushed furiously as their father revealed their embarrassing nick-names to their friends. But, it seemed to do the trick. Albus lowered his wand in defeat as Scorpius and Lysander let go of Lily and Rose, who immediately threw themselves into their fathers' arms.

Albus went back to pick up Mei, while Lysander and Scorpius made sure that their charges were still out cold. After everyone examined everyone, Headmistress McGonagall ordered everyone back to the castle where they would be staying until everything was figured out and settled.

* * *

LUMOS MAXIMA: the strongest rendition of the lumos charm. The spell makes the light that comes out of the wand as bright as the sun.

DEPULSO: basically the opposite of accio.

THANKS FOR READING! ;)


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose watched the scene fold out in front of her from her hospital bed. McGonagall had immediately rushed them up to the Hospital Wing after the battle in Hogsmeade was over before rushing back out to see to the damages and the rest of the students herself.

The battle had been quick and sudden. Now that everything was calm, Rose realized that the battle had taken place in under an hour. But, in that time, 30 people had lost their lives and several more had been wounded in the chaos.

To make matters worse, most of the dead and injured were Hogwarts students who had been happily shopping for the upcoming ball and for Christmas presents. What had been a happy and exciting time had turned into a horrible nightmare.

Rose and her family (plus Scorpius, his family, and Mei) had been sitting in a private section of the Hospital Wing when McGonagall had returned with the grim news. That was why Rose's Uncle, Harry Potter, was currently on a rampage of destruction in their private healing space.

Rose would have found the sight before her amusing if it were under better circumstances. It wasn't every day that Rose got to see her normally calm and collected Uncle lose his temper quite spectacularly.

Usually it was her father that lost his temper and blew his fuse in public. It was quite strange to see the role reversal. Rose's father and mother were sitting next to her with her brother Hugo. They were both calm, but they were watching Harry stalking up and down the room destroying everything in his path as Ginny walked behind him and fixed everything. The look in her parents' eyes made Rose wonder if they had seen something like this before.

"Mr. Potter! Need I remind you that you are on school property? I may not be your Professor any longer, but I can still give you a detention while you are on school grounds for destroying school property!" Headmistress McGonagall said with her lips pursed together. She was obviously not amused with Harry's behavior.

Harry looked as if he would argue, but then thought better of it as he sank down onto the nearest bed and buried his face in his hands. Ginny immediately went over to him to rub soothing circles on his back.

"Out of the thirty people who lost their lives today, twenty-five of them were students. Twenty-five children lost their lives today because the Auror Office screwed up. We were so sure that the Brotherhood was targeting specific people that we didn't even consider that they were planning a large scale attack on the side! And now, because of our-no my mistake, twenty-five kids wouldn't be going home for Christmas!" Harry said in an angry and tortured voice.

"Harry, you know it's not-" Hermione began in a sympathetic tone.

"That it's not what Hermione? That it's not my fault? Well, it is my fault! I'm the Head Auror. I'm in charge of the Auror Office. If anyone made a mistake, then it leads back to me! Therefore, it is my fault. I must have missed something, or misinterpreted the signs. This is just like Sirius all over again!" Harry finished miserably as he buried his head in Ginny's shoulder.

Rose exchanged worried and confused glances with Albus and Lily. They had never seen Harry like this. He was always the strong one who always had everything in control. They weren't used to seeing the more vulnerable side of Harry. Rose guessed that they, like everyone else in the world, forgot that Harry Potter was indeed human.

"Harry. You listen to me! As your best friend for I don't even know how many years it's been so long, I am going to tell you that it's not your fault. Everyone makes mistakes. Horrible, for lack of a better word, things happen that are out of our control. You can't change what happened. You can only move forward. And we'll be right by your side," Hermione said with a sad smile.

"Listen to Mione mate. You can't keep blaming yourself for things that are out of your control. You're one person. Sometimes I think you forget that you don't have to go at this alone. And, I'm the Deputy Head of the Auror Office. If there was a misstep in the chain of evidence, then it would be on my head, not yours," Ron added.

Hermione nodded furiously and spoke again before Harry could respond. "And as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, well, let's just say that I encouraged you two to head down the road you took. I was so sure that I was right that I didn't think of the consequences that could occur if I were wrong!" Hermione exclaimed.

"And, I know that I told you to do what you felt was right when we would talk late at night. I sometimes forget that you need to be smacked on the back of the head sometimes to make sure that you're thinking clearly," Ginny added as she gave her husband a squeeze.

"Well, now that the Golden Trio, or should I call you the Fearsome Foursome now? Anyways, now that the lovely Gryffindor bonding session is over, can we get back to the present? What are we going to do about the Brotherhood? Potter, as you've kindly informed us, you're the Head of the Auror Office! So do something damn it!" Draco said. He was getting bored with the icky Gryffindor love fest.

"Dad!" Scorpius hissed. Why did his Dad need to be so embarrassing? Scorpius was a bit uncomfortable too, but you didn't see him making rude interruptions.

"Don't mind your father. He's just cranky because he hasn't eaten since breakfast," Astoria said as she WHACKED! her husband on the back of the head.

"OW! What the- What was that for Astoria?" Draco asked as he rubbed his head and glared at his wife, who was glaring back more furiously.

"That was for being prat and embarrassing our son! I just took a leaf out of Ginny's book. Sometimes you DO need to be whacked over the head Draco!" Astoria said as she and Draco started to bicker.

Scorpius groaned and yanked his covers over his head as Rose, Albus, Lily, and Mei started giggling.

"No Ron. Draco's right. Enough self moping. We need to make a briefing and then get back to work. I want all Aurors that are not working on a case in my office by ten tonight. We will be starting from scratch, so we will need as much help as we can get. Hell, we might even need the Trainees. Besides, I think Draco is being taken care of by his wife," Harry said as he glanced over at Draco and Astoria.

Draco had his arms crossed, and was sulking like he used to in first and second year when he didn't get his way while Astoria was yelling and gesturing furiously at him. Finally, someone who could put Draco Malfoy in his place.

* * *

I really wanted some Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny bonding. And Draco, is Draco. If the situation had been different, he could've been their friend. But friend or not, I figure he'd still be a sarcastic and spoiled brat, just not as mean ;)

Stay tuned! More to come.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Rose, Lily, and Mei were up in the Head Dorms getting ready for the ball. The ball was still happening because McGonagall felt people needed hope now more than ever. Tickets were all sold out, and all of the younger kids were excited to be let into the kitchens to make cookies and goodie baskets. Once they were done with the cookies, the kids would be wrapping all of the toys and clothes that had been flooding in during the past week. Donations had increased dramatically as the public was made aware of the attack on Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts students.

On top of preparing for the ball, Rose now had to think about and prepare for what Uncle Harry had proposed to her, Albus, and Scorp. He had asked to speak to them privately so that he could…

"Helloooo. Earth to Rosie. You in there?" Lily asked as she waved her hand in front of her cousin's face.

"Huh?" Rose asked as she refocused on her bedroom.

"Rose, you've been staring at the same spot on the wall for the past ten minutes. You've missed what we've been talking about! Now, what color eye shadow do you want to wear?" Lily asked as she held up her intense makeup palette.

Rose quickly jumped up. "Oh no. No. Nada. Nope. You get that junk away from me!" Rose said as she sneered at the makeup.

"Junk?! This is not junk! I'll have you know that this is designer makeup!" Lily retorted scandalized.

"Lily, you know I don't wear makeup!" Rose said. She was still looking at the makeup apprehensively.

"So? That doesn't mean that you can't wear it!" Lily pleaded.

"No. I don't want to suddenly start wearing makeup, even if it's just for tonight," Rose said.

"Fine," Lily pouted as she began to do her own makeup.

"I told you this would be how she would react," Mei said.

"But still… She could at least let me put on a bit of mascara and lip gloss…" Lily said as she applied her eye shadow.

"Ugh, fine. You can put mascara and lip-gloss on. But that's it!" Rose yelled as Lily jumped on her in thanks.

* * *

Rose was currently being prodded, and her hair was being pulled. Needless to say, she hated it. Mei was currently doing some intense incantations to get her hair to fall exactly how she liked it, while Lily was attempting to curl her eyelashes with some primitive looking device. It was scary.

"Jeez, Rose hold still! Do you want me to poke your eye out?!" Lily asked as she attempted to make Rose stop squirming.

"That's why I'm squirming! What the heck is that metal thing?" Rose asked.

"It's just an eyelash curler. It's not going to hurt you. I use it all the time," Lily said patiently.

"Why do you even need to curl your eyelashes?" Rose asked as she slumped in defeat.

"So the mascara can go on easier and so that your lashes have a nice curl to them," Lily said as she managed to curl her cousin's left eyelashes. "See? That wasn't so bad."

After a few moments of silence while Lily curled the eyelashes over her cousin's right eye and Mei was trying out different hairstyles, Rose decided to speak up. "Can you guys keep a secret?" She asked.

Lily immediately perked up at the word 'secret.' "Of course we can! Is this about what dad was talking to you, Albus, and Scorpius about?" Lily asked.

"I… How did you know that your dad was talking to us?" Rose asked.

"Well, I heard it from Lysander, who heard it from Lorcan who is in your house. He said that dad asked to see you three last night!" Lily said.

"I see," Rose said amused. Secrets didn't stay secrets for long, at least not at Hogwarts. "But do you guys promise?" Rose asked.

"Yes."

"I already answered."

"Ok, you were right Lily. This is about what your dad asked to see the three of us about. He wants us to recreate a defense group like the DA," Rose said.

Lily and Mei stared wide-eyed. The DA was a student-run defense group that had been started during Harry Potter's 5th year. It was discontinued during his 6th, but brought back by his wife Ginny Potter nee Weasley, and his good friends Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood while he was out searching for Horcruxes during what should have been his 7th year. The DA was famous.

"You mean dad wants you three to start up the DA again?" Lily asked in awe. "Things must be getting worse!" she added almost as an afterthought.

"Worse? Things have been bad for a while now. The adults are just trying to keep us in the dark," Mei said. It was obvious that she too was worried.

"I don't think it's their intention to keep us in the dark," Rose said. "They just want to keep us safe. And, I think the only reason why Uncle Harry approached us is because he can still see things from our perspective. He wants us to be able to protect ourselves and fight if needed," Rose finished.

"Ok, so we start the DA again!" Lily said as she clapped her hands together. She always did that when she made an important decision.

"Not exactly… We can't call it the DA because Dumbledore is dead, and we can't use the galleons to let people know about the meetings. Those details are too well known. We need to start from scratch. Uncle Harry believes, and I agree, that there is a mole within Hogwarts," Rose said.

"A mole? You mean someone is spying on the students and relaying information to the Brotherhood?" Mei asked incredulously. "Who would do that?"

"I don't know," Rose said, as she was once again lost to her thoughts.

* * *

"Why do girls always take forever to get ready?" Lysander complained.

"Beats me!" Scorpius said as he plucked at an invisible thread on his white dress robes.

"Stop picking. There's nothing there. We all know you're just nervous about seeing my cousin all dressed up," Albus teased.

"Hey. You know that Rose and I agreed to just be friends for the time being. I mean, she's still technically with Hadrian," Scorpius said as he scrunched up his nose is disgust.

"You and I both know that she's going to break up with him when they see each other over break. Their 'relationship' has been over for months now. It's just a technicality at his point because Rose is too proper to break up with someone over a letter," Albus said. He had truly like Hadrian, and had considered him a friend. Now, he didn't know what to think. Hadrian was being a right prat.

"But still. I want to do right by Rose. I've made too many mistakes… I want to show her that I'm serious, and that I really care. That I love her," Scorpius said as he smiled a goofy smile. "OW!"

"That's for perving on my cousin!" Albus said.

"I was NOT perving on your cousin!" Scorpius yelled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Who's not perving on who?" Lily asked as she descended the stairs. Lysander's eyes grew wide as he smiled at Lily. This earned him a smack on the back of the head and a, "Stop perving on my sister!" from Albus.

Lily just shook her head in amusement. "Don't worry, Mei and Rose are coming. Rose just needed some more practice walking in her heels," Lily said as she giggled at the memory of her cousin falling on her ass as she tried to walk in heels.

Albus gasped as he saw Mei walk down the stairs. She looked truly breathtaking, and her skin seemed to glow. Scorpius and Lysander exchanged glances and nods. Without further ado, they both reached over to smack Albus across the back of the head.

"Stop perving on Mei!" Scorpius yelled as Albus was propelled forward into his girlfriend, knocking them both to the ground.

"I hate you." Albus said from the floor.

"What's going on?" A somewhat amused and irritated voice called from the top of the stairs.

There she stood. With her hands on her hips, her mother's sharp glare, and her beautiful hair cascading down her back in her natural waves. Scorpius was mesmerized.

Rose descended the stairs, and stopped in front of Scorpius. "Hi," She said nervously.

"Hi," Scorpius replied.

All of a sudden, they both broke out into loud and uncontrollable laughter. Lily, Lysander, Mei, and Albus all exchanged confused glances, which only caused them to laugh louder.

"Erm, what's going on?" Albus finally asked.

"Nothing you need to know," Scorpius said cryptically as Rose giggled.

Rose and Scorpius's giggle fest was interrupted by the arrival of Professor McGonagall. "I don't know if I told you this, but it's the Head's duty to open up the ball with a dance," McGonagall said as she ushered Rose and Scorpius into the Great Hall.

* * *

All too soon, Rose found herself in the middle of the dance floor, in front of the majority of Hogwarts students. This was not good.

"I can't dance," Rose whispered to Scorpius as she placed her arm on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll lead. You just have to follow," Scorpius whispered back.

Rose closed her eyes as she heard the opening notes to the song. This was her absolute favorite. She was surprised that they were playing it at the ball. It was a Muggle song. One quick glance at Albus gave Rose her answer. She blushed as Albus smirked.

 _I could stay awake just to hear you breathing  
Watch you smile while you are sleeping  
While you're far away and dreaming  
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender  
I could stay lost in this moment forever  
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure._

Rose wasn't sure, but she could have sworn that she heard a sharp intake of breath from Scorpius. Either way, her heart was beating rather quickly. She wouldn't be surprised if he could hear it.

 _I Don't wanna close my eyes  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
'Cause I'd miss you, baby  
And I don't wanna miss a thing'_

 _Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream would never do  
I'd still miss you, baby  
And I don't wanna miss a thing._

Rose didn't know how it happened, but she was suddenly crushed to Scorpius's chest. She could hear his heart beating fast, just like hers, and she could smell his signature smell. It was the same smell that was in her Amortentia. Rose rested her head against Scorpius's chest and closed her eyes as she focused on the music and the man pressed against her.

 _Lying close to you feeling your heart beating  
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming,  
Wondering if it's me you're seeing  
Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together  
And I just wanna stay with you  
In this moment forever, forever and ever._

Scorpius sighed as he breathed in Rose's signature scent. He didn't think he would ever get tired of that smell. He pulled her even closer as he let the music wash over him. She was short enough that he could plop his head over hers.

 _I Don't wanna close my eyes  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
'Cause I'd miss you, baby  
And I don't wanna miss a thing'_

 _Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream would never do  
I'd still miss you, baby  
And I don't wanna miss a thing._

 _I don't wanna miss one smile  
I don't wanna miss one kiss  
Well, I just wanna be with you  
Right here with you, just like thisI just wanna hold you close  
I feel your heart so close to mine  
And just stay here in this moment  
For the rest of time, yeah, yeah, yeah!_

By this time, other couples had joined the dance floor. But Rose and Scorpius were in their own world. They were oblivious to anything but the other as they basked in the feelings of love and contentment.

If Rose had been paying attention, she would have seen Lily and Lysander dancing in a manner similar to her and Scorpius. She would have seen Albus whispering sweet nothings into Mei's ear. She would have seen Daisy Parkinson wearing the white peacock dress that her cousin and Mei had rejected and dancing quite inappropriately with William Nott before being told off by a red faced McGonagall. If Rose had been paying attention, she would have seen a furious Melissa storming out of the Great Hall.

* * *

 _I Don't Want to Miss a Thing_ by Aerosmith.

Thanks for reading everyone! Please let me know what you think :)


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

"Rose, you're humming," an amused Lily Potter said from her position across from Rose at the Ravenclaw table.

"Mmm, hi Lily. I didn't see you there. And no, I was not humming. I don't hum," Rose said as she looked at Lily. She hadn't even realized her cousin had moved to her table.

Mei snorted and rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. "You do hum Rose. Everyone hums. And Lily got here about five minutes ago."

"It's true. You've been staring into space for all of breakfast. I could tell even from the Gryffindor table, before I decided to come over," Lily chimed in when she saw Rose's incredulous look.

Rose sighed. "Fine. Maybe I was humming..."

"It was that super romantic song from the dance. I'm guessing you were thinking about Scorpius!" Lily said as she smiled at Rose's tell-tale Weasley blush.

"Seriously Rose. Don't try to deny it. We all know you don't have feelings for Hadrian anymore, and you never stopped loving Scorpius..." Mei teased as Rose's blush only increased.

"Fine! I admit it. I still have romantic feelings for Scorpius!" Rose semi-shouted. Mei and Lily were laughing hysterically while Rose pouted.

"I'm glad you still have romantic feelings for Scorp. Can I tell him?" Albus asked as he greeted Mei with a kiss.

"Absolutely not! You can't tell Scorpius anything!" Rose said as she smacked her cousin's arm.

"Can't tell me what?" a sleepy Scorpius asked.

"Uh... That Lily and Lysander are together now!" Rose blurted as Lily glared and kicked her under the table.

"Rose! I told you that in confidence!" Lily hissed as she glanced at her brother who looked as though he'd like to go over to the Gryffindor table punch Lysander in the face.

"I know! I'm sorry. I just panicked!" Rose said as she pleaded with Lily.

Lily just rolled her eyes. She knew she wouldn't be able to stay mad at Rose for long. It wasn't her fault she broke easily under pressure. She got that straight from Uncle Ron. Besides, she loved Lysander. Really loved him. The family would need to know at some point.

"It's fine," Lily said with a smile. "Albus sit down! You can't act this way over every boyfriend I get!" Lily said as she physically yanked Albus back down into his seat.

"I can and I will! I'm your older brother! It's my duty to protect you! You're just lucky James isn't here," Albus said.

Lily groaned and looked at Mei for help. Mei smiled apologetically towards Lily before changing the subject.

"So, why so tired Scorpius?" Mei asked Scorpius, who was currently nodding off over his bowl of porridge.

Albus snorted before prodding his friend awake. "He was up all night after the ball packing. I told him to do it earlier, but he kept brushing me off. Bet he wishes he listened to me now! He'll be asleep for the whole train ride," Albus said, Lysander momentarily forgotten.

"Bugger off!" Scorpius whined as he swatted Albus's annoying hand away.

Rose just rolled her eyes. While Scorpius was usually on top of everything that was school or Head related, his other organizational skills were horrendous.

"You waited until the night before break to start to pack? Not even the day before, but the night?" Rose asked partly incredulous, and partly amused.

"Not everyone can be as organized and brilliant as you Rose," Scorpius slurred sleepily.

Rose's eyes softened at the sleepy boy. "C'mon Scorpius. You have time for a quick nap before we need to leave," Rose said as she helped Scorpius stand up.

Scorpius nodded as he and Rose walked back out of the hall.

"So, about you and Lysander..." Albus said as he turned back towards Lily.

Lily just groaned and smacked her head on the table.

* * *

"Albus! Give it a rest! You know Lysander! He's not like Brent!" Lily said as she rolled her eyes at her brother. They were almost halfway home, and Albus was still questioning her about her relationship with Lysander.

Honestly, there wasn't much to tell. He asked her to go to the dance, and she had said yes. While there they danced and had a good time. One thing led to another, and before she knew it they were kissing. And boy was that kiss good.

"Lily! You better not be thinking gross thoughts!" Albus yelled. He was horrified of the smile that had just graced his sister's face.

Lily rolled her eyes. This was becoming a habit. "Albus, brother or not, I will hex you if you keep this up!" Lily threatened as she twirled her wand in her hands.

"Hey! Don't blame me! Blame Rose! If she hadn't told me, then I wouldn't need to be going through my brotherly duties," Albus said as he held his hands up in a placating manner.

Mei rolled her eyes. She was used to Albus being thick. She had to side with Lily on this one. That was why she was reading a book and staying out of the conversation.

Rose too was reading. Well, she probably wasn't reading since her book was upside down. She too was probably attempting to stay out of the sibling argument that she had accidentally started.

Lily glanced over at Rose who was hiding behind her book. How typical. "I think of Rose as an older sister. You don't see her being obnoxious," Lily countered.

Albus just shrugged that off. "Rose is a girl. She doesn't understand the need men have to protect their women and their family," Albus said.

"I don't understand the need to protect my family?!" Rose asked as she lowered her book down. She would have slammed it if Scorpius hadn't been passed out with his head in her lap.

"You know that's not what I meant!" Albus said as he turned his attention towards the furious Rose.

Albus looked towards Mei for help, but she gave him a look that clearly told him he was on his own. Lily was sitting back with her arms behind her head, glad to have the focus taken off of her budding relationship with Lysander. Plus, Rose and Albus arguments were always the best.

"Not what you meant?! I think it's perfectly clear-"

But what was perfectly clear was never found out for Hugo chose that exact moment to slam the compartment door open with a BANG! Mei dropped her book in surprise, and Scorpius toppled off of the seat with a thud as he jerked awake.

"I hate you all," Hugo said as he stepped over a dazed Scorpius and sat down in the place Scorpius had previously occupied. Once settled, he took his time glaring at everyone in the compartment.

His glare lingered on Scorpius, who had nudged him over so that he could sit next to Rose.

Rose exchanged confused glances with everyone in the compartment. Why was Hugo mad at everyone?

"Umm, Hugo, why are you mad?" Rose tried cautiously.

"Hmmm, I don't know. How about the fact that I was waiting for you all to show up in an almost empty compartment for the better half of the train ride, with only the Scamander twins for company!" Hugo exploded.

Lily's noise of protest was waved off by Hugo, who was still quite annoyed.

Rose cocked an eyebrow. "We've been here the whole time. Why didn't you come and find us?" Rose asked.

"Because Lily asked me to find everyone a compartment before we left Hogwarts! I searched for an empty one so that we could all fit! Only none of you showed up!" Hugo said angrily.

Lily gasped. "Hugo! I'm so sorry! I was going to tell everyone, after prefect duties, but Albus cornered me and started demanding to know about Lysander..." Lily trailed off sheepishly as she looked at Hugo guiltily.

"Whoa! What's this about Lysander?" Hugo asked sharply.

Albus smirked. He had finally found his ally in Hugo.

"Hugo! There you are!" Lysander said as he and Lorcan squeezed into the compartment.

"We got worried when you didn't come back," Lorcan added a bit dreamily.

"No Lorcan. We knew he was going to look for his cousins. We left because we figured he'd found them," Lysander said to his brother who just nodded and stared out the window.

"Hi," Lily said as she grinned at Lysander.

"Hi," Lysander said back as he made to sit down next to Lily. Only, Albus pushed him off the seat.

"Albus!" Lily said enraged.

"What was that for!" Lysander demanded as he got up and rubbed his bum.

"That's for screwing with my sister!" Albus said angrily. "What you kiss her for the fun of it now?"

"No! I'd never do that! I love Lily. She's my girlfriend!" Lysander said angrily.

Albus's mouth opened into a big O of surprise. "Oh, I didn't realize you were... Official," Albus finally managed.

"I wasn't aware of that either," Lily said as she cocked an eyebrow.

Lysander blushed. "Well, if you don't want... I guess I just assumed..." he trailed off looking confused and a bit put out.

"Of course I want to be your girlfriend!" Lily said as she flung herself into Lysander's arms.

"Well, just don't kiss or anything in front of me," Albus finally said.

"Hypocrite," Lily muttered under her breath.

"Now that we've figured that out, can you all be quiet so I can sleep!" Scorpius grumbled. His head was resting on Rose's shoulder, and he was obviously grumpy from lack of sleep.

Unfortunately his complaint garnered him the attention of Albus and Hugo who both turned to stare at him.

"What are your intentions towards my sister?" Hugo asked as all the girls in the compartment, plus Scorpius, groaned.

* * *

Haha, I love the overprotectiveness in both Albus and Hugo. I'm guessing they learned it from Ron.

Yay for Lily/Lysander!

Up next will be break. Which means the confrontation between Hadrian and Rose. What's up with him anyways? Any ideas behind his seemingly sudden change in feelings?

Also, look for more details on the new defense association that Rose, Al, and Scorpius have been asked to start.

Thanks for reading :)


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

One of my favorite things about this site is that people from all over the world can read what you write. A special shout out to those from around the country, especially Albania, Brazil, and Greece!

I decided to have the annual Weasley Christmas party at Malfoy Manor to switch it up for a change. I also needed a good place for Scorpius to talk with his mom and grandmother.

* * *

Scorpius was nervous. The reason he was nervous had a lot to do with his mother, who was currently running around the Manor making last minute preparations for their guests with their chief house elf Flower. He could hear his mother and Flower currently debating on where to place the Christmas mistletoe.

Scorpius chuckled to himself as he remembered how Flower got his name. When he was younger, he had been rather obsessed with the Disney films. One day he was watching Bambi with all of the young house elves, who had sadly been his only friends other than his family when he was little. Little Scorpius had found it hysterically funny that the young Bambi had named the skunk Flower, and so to imitate it, he had pointed at the baby house elf next to him and had named him Flower. The name had stuck, and now Flower wore it with pride.

The reason why Astoria and Flower were running amok was because the Malfoys were hosting the annual Weasley-Potter-Lupin-Longbottom-Scamander-Thomas-Finnigan and whoever the bloody hell else Christmas party that would usually take place at the Burrow.

The reason why the party was being held at the Manor was because one of the pranks Fred and James, who still liked to experiment despite being an Auror, pulled had backfired horribly and had made the Burrow smell like a mixture of rotten cheese and sewage. If anyone had been wondering if Nana Weasley still had it in her to scream, well one could just ask Fred and James, both of whom were still traumatized.

Scorpius had offered the use of his Manor, since it was the only house large enough to fit the immense number of friends and relatives who usually attended the party. His parents had been more open to the idea than he had anticipated. His mother was excited to be able to host a large party, and his father had mainly agreed for his mother's sake. Well that and so that he could corner George Weasley about some bet.

Scorpius had initially been happy about lending out his house for the party, but after watching his mother and Flower tear the house apart with cleaning and decorating, he was seriously beginning to regret his decision. He wasn't even allowed to help anymore. All he could do was watch, stay out of the way, and not touch anything. I mean, who really knew the difference between maroon and cranberry red?

Scorpius had gone on a curtain run for his mother under the strict orders to order the curtains in cranberry red. When he got to the store, he had been bombarded by every shade and variation of red imaginable by the overzealous salesman. After two hours of trying to differentiate the colors, Scorpius had finally selected what he thought was a deep berry color of cranberries, only to find out that it was maroon instead.

His mother had been furious. In her stress over making everything perfect, she had ranted about incompetent sons and lazy, good-for-nothing husbands. Scorpius had thought the incompetent label was extremely harsh. He was plenty smart, he just wasn't cut out for telling the difference between the different shades of red. And as for his father being good-for-nothing? That wasn't true. He was a very successful business man who had worked hard to turn the Malfoy family name around after the war.

As for lazy? That Scorpius would give to his mother. They had barely seen his father aside from meal times since his mother had started her cleaning/decorating frenzy. He claimed to be doing important business work, but both Scorpius and his mother knew that his father took the month of December off to spend with his family. His dad just didn't want to clean. That or he didn't want to face the wrath of his wife while she cleaned.

"Scorpius! There you are. I need you to change the sheets in all of the guest bedrooms!" his mother said as she poked her head into his room.

"But there are over 200 guest bedrooms! We surely aren't going to need them all!" Scorpius whined.

"No, we wouldn't need them all. However, I want our guests to have choices over where they'd like to stay. We're having them stay the night. It would make more sense for them to stay than to send them home in the early hours of the morning," Astoria said as she levitated over 200 sheet sets into his room. "And do try and be color conscious. I can trust you with this?" his mother asked as she eyed him suspiciously. She obviously had not forgotten the curtain incident.

"Fine. But only if you tell me why this is so important to you. I've never seen you like this," Scorpius said.

Astoria looked at her son sadly, before sitting down on his bed. "This is important to me because this is the first time I'm having friends over," Astoria finally replied.

"But people have stayed over before?" Scorpius asked confused.

"Yes, but they were either old friends of your Grandmother or your father's business partners. We've never truly had real friends over. I mean sure, Blaise and Daphne are our friends, but they live in France. They said it was easier over there. That people didn't judge them as much. To be honest, I had thought of moving there too, but your father said that running away wouldn't change anything. He said the only way to get through this was to face it head on," Astoria said.

Scorpius just stared at his mother. He knew that she wasn't as social as some off the other Pure Blood wives, but he really hadn't thought of why. But, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Theodore Nott was a leech, Pansy Parkinson was a gold-digging cow, and many of the other Slytherins his father had associated with in school were in Azkaban or dead. And his mother had never really had many friends because she had been shy in school.

"So are you doing this to impress Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Potter?" Scorpius asked. He had noticed that his mother had become really friendly with his best friend's mothers. They even went out together once or twice a week.

Astoria nodded. "I want them to feel welcomed, especially Mrs. Weasley. I know that she has terrible memories of this place. I just want them to feel comfortable. I don't want them to think bad of me or our family because of what happened in the past," Astoria said as she pulled at invisible threads in one of the sheets.

"Mom, if I know Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Potter, which I do, they wouldn't judge you for something you had no part in. Mrs. Weasley is one of the most open minded people I know, and Mrs. Potter is smart enough to know when to blame someone and when not to," Scorpius said.

"I know all this, I really do, but there is still some insecure part of me that is worried of what everyone will think," Astoria said as she smiled at her son.

"I know mum, but you just have to have faith in yourself. You're a good person and a good mom. You're better than Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott. I'm glad I had you as a mother. You taught me how to be kind and compassionate towards others," Scorpius said as he pulled his mom into a hug.

"I do love you Scorpius, and I'm glad that we were able to have this talk. However, that doesn't mean you get out of changing the sheets," Astoria said as she swept from the room.

Scorpius groaned as he saw the piles of sheets that his mother had left for him. It was going to be a long day, especially since he didn't know any household spells.

* * *

Scorpius had lost track of how many rooms he had completed, but the pile of sheets was still rather large. Scorpius was making his way towards the West Wing of the Manor when he heard the sounds of a piano playing.

The sound was coming from the music room. That could only mean one thing; that his grandmother had actually left the confines of her suite. Lucius's death had been especially hard on his grandmother. That had been the final straw really. She had survived living in misery while her husband catered to the Dark Lord's every whim, survived two wars, and managed to survive lying straight to Voldemort's face.

The only reason Narcissa Malfoy had survived all of that was because she had the love of both her husband and son. When one source of love had been brutally slain, Narcissa's carefully controlled world had begun to collapse.

This was the first time since Lucius's death that Narcissa had left her suite. After his death she had gone into self-imposed isolation to deal with her grief. She had cut contact with the outside world, and with her family too, much to their dismay.

Scorpius hesitated before silently opening the door. Narcissa Malfoy was sitting in front of a grand piano, looking as regal and put together as ever. It was almost as though she had never disappeared. But Scorpius knew better. The tell-tale signs were there in the slight graying of her hair, and the frown lines around her mouth.

"Are you going to come in or are you going to continue standing and starring. Starring is rude. It would do well to remember that," Scorpius's observations were interrupted by his grandmother's soft but commanding voice.

"Sorry Grandmother. I didn't want to intrude," Scorpius replied formally as he moved to sit beside Narcissa. His grandmother was more traditional. While she did not necessarily still support the ideology behind blood superiority, she still was very focused on good mannerisms and propriety.

"It is alright. I know you must be wondering why I've left my suite. I'm surprised you even remember I exist. My own son and your mother haven't even been to visit," Narcissa replied as she stared straight ahead, and never missing a beat in the music.

"Never Grandmother. My mother is most likely out running errands for the Christmas party, and my father is probably holed away in his office watching TV so that he doesn't have to do any cleaning," Scorpius said.

That last comment made Narcissa's lips twitch. It wasn't a lot, but it was a start. Scorpius was going to use whatever he could to make his grandmother feel happy again.

"My son has always been somewhat lazy. He, like his father, would order for a house elf whenever they wanted something done. Some old habits die hard. I'm just happy that some of his other ones didn't last too," Narcissa said.

Narcissa didn't specify what she meant, but Scorpius knew nonetheless. His grandmother was referring to the ideals of Pure Blood Superiority that had helped lead to a deadly and lengthy war.

"I'm glad they changed too," Scorpius said as he tried to imagine what his life would have been like if his father had taught him what he had been taught growing up. There would be no Potters or Weasleys. No Albus Potter to tease, and no Rose Weasley to love. Life would most certainly have sucked.

"You do know I'm proud of you, right Scorpius? I'm proud of all of you. You have been raised wonderfully, have true friends and a loving family, you have excellent marks, are excellent at Quidditch, and you were made Head Boy. A Grandmother could not be prouder," Narcissa said as she finally stopped playing and turned towards Scorpius.

"How did you know all that?" Scorpius asked astounded.

"You guys aren't not the only ones who get information from the house elves. I ask them to keep me updated, and I get multiple papers every day. I know of all of your achievements, and lack thereof," Narcissa said as she semi-glared at Scorpius.

Scorpius blushed. He had a feeling his grandmother was referring to the lovely articles that had come out a few years ago in which his father and Rose's father had gotten into a screaming match over something Scorpius Malfoy had presumably done to Rose Weasley. The news had gobbled that up and made up all sorts of lies and speculation around it for the next month.

"Yes, well... What happened that day was a mistake. I thought I was in love with someone when it actually turned out to be someone else. I was just too stupid to realize it at the time," Scorpius said.

"The one who you really love is Rose Weasley, isn't it?" Narcissa asked gently as her fingers moved up to caress her neck.

"I do. I love her with all my heart and being. So much so that it sometimes hurts. Is that normal Grandmother?" Scorpius asked.

"Yes. My love for Lucius was like that. I loved him so much that it sometimes hurt. Sometimes it still hurts," Narcissa said sadly.

"What should I do? I've messed up a lot. I want to show her how much I care," Scorpius said.

"Do you love her so much that you would give your life for hers?" Narcissa asked as she eyed her grandson's reaction closely.

When Scorpius immediately nodded, Narcissa had her answer.

"If that is the case, then I think you should give her this," Narcissa said as she reached up to unclip her necklace.

Scorpius watched as his grandmother held out a beautiful ring on a plain chain. "What is it?" he asked aloud.

"It's a promise ring made by Merlin himself. It is made for soul mates. Legend has it that once a man gives it to his soul mate, they will be protected by the magic of pure love," Narcissa said as she handed Scorpius the ring.

"Why didn't you give this to father?" Scorpius asked. "Why wait and give it straight to me?" Scorpius asked.

"Because your father would never have been able to be with his true soulmate. Voldemort and centuries worth of Pure Blood superiority ensured that," Narcissa said.

"Are you saying that my father's true soul mate was Hermione Granger? Rose's mum?" Scorpius wondered.

"Yes. Giving him the ring would have made him compelled to find and seek out his soul mate. That would have been extremely disastrous given the situation everyone was in with the war and Voldemort. Besides, the ring would have killed him if his soulmate had rejected him. The ring can sense when the love is pure, and when it is not," Narcissa said.

"But if they were soul mates, wouldn't their love have been pure?" Scorpius asked. He was starting to get confused.

"Not necessarily. While love is a powerful form of magic, it is also susceptible to outside influence. Love can be manipulated into ugly and dangerous forms. I'm afraid that is what happened to your father's love for Hermione and vice versa. The ring would have destroyed them both. It was much better for them to try and seek love elsewhere," Narcissa said.

"So it's possible to love someone else even with your soul mate alive and well out there?" Scorpius asked. That was a bit concerning.

"Yes. You can love more than one person in your lifetime Scorpius. It could even be a great love. But, it would never match up to what the love between soul mates would have been like," Narcissa responded.

"So do you think that's why I was able to have feelings for Melissa and Rose was able to love Hadrian?" Scorpius asked.

"Yes. Just like it was possible for Lily Evans to have had some romantic feelings to Severus Snape, despite her true soul mate being James Potter. It was Severus's actions, much like it was your father's that ultimately lost them their loves. Well, that and horrible happenings in the outside world that had influenced their thoughts and actions," Narcissa added.

"But if James Potter was Lily Evan's soulmate... How does Severus Snape fit into all of that?" Scorpius asked.

"I believe that Severus Snape's true soulmate was Lily Evans. I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow there ended up being a perfect soul match in James Potter and Lily Evans, with an extra soul attached in the form of Severus Snape. That is why Severus's Patronus was a doe, and why he and James felt such a brutal hatred towards each other. He was in love with Lily, and she with him, even though it could not compare with her love for James Potter. The boys were horribly jealous and threatened by each other, and poor Lily was caught in the middle. She eventually had to choose. And when she chose, she chose her true soul mate, to Severus's dismay. Looking back, I can honestly say that some of the fights between James and Severus extended much further and deeper than the average school yard fight and school boy rivalry," Narcissa said.

"So you're saying that Lily and Severus had matching patronuses in the same form? But I thought that Lily and James had matching patronuses? And Lily had to choose between two men? I don't want to make Rose chose me, especially not if she is naturally forced to with whatever weird connection soul mates have to one another," Scorpius said. All this soul mate talk was confusing and somewhat frightening.

"James's Patronus was a stag, and Lily's was a doe. Their patronuses were a matching animal pair. I even believe that Lily would have been a doe in her Animagi form. Lily and Severus had the exact same Patronus. It wasn't a matching pair because they weren't true soul mates, but they were the same because that had at one point shared love for one another," Narcissa attempted to explain. She had no idea if what she was saying was true, but it was her guess based on what she had heard and learned after the war.

"You never answered my question about the compulsion soul mates feel to be with one another. Does that mean we have no free will? That Rose and I were predetermined to be together?" Scorpius asked.

"I don't know whether or not something like that is predetermined, Scorpius. Some questions do not have answers, and some answers will never be sufficient enough to sate the curious. However, you do have a choice. You always have a choice. You may not be able to choose who you love, but you can choose whether or not to act on that love. Lily chose to be with James Potter and to give him a chance. Severus had deeply hurt her and had betrayed her trust. Although James had been an immature and annoying part, he had never hurt Lily or betrayed her trust. It was natural for her to choose the person who had never hurt her, yet had shown interest in her over the one who had hurt her deeply. Remember Scorpius, the choices you make are entirely your own. Always choose wisely," Narcissa cautioned.

"But I made some horrible choices when it came to my relationship and friendship with Rose! I've hurt her terribly. I'm just lucky that she had forgiven me as many times as she has," Scorpius said as he looked down at his hands miserably.

"You have said it yourself Scorpius: Rose has forgiven you. That is what makes Rose different from Lily Evans. She never forgave Severus for hurting her, but Rose has forgiven you. Show her that her forgiveness was worth it. Be the man I know your parents raised you to be," Narcissa said as she placed a comforting hand on Scorpius's shoulder.

Scorpius's reply was cut off by his mother, who was calling out to him as she walked down the hall towards the music room.

"SCORPIUS HYPERION MALFOY. I ASKED YOU TO DO THE BEDROOMS HOURS AGO! WHY AREN'T THEY- Oh! Hello Narcissa!" a surprised Astoria Malfoy exclaimed as she caught sight of her son and mother-in-law sitting on the piano bench.

"Hello Astoria. It's lovely to see you," Narcissa said. She chose to ignore the fact that Astoria had been yelling in an entirely inappropriate manner a few seconds before.

"It's so nice to see you up and about. I'll get Draco, and we can have a family dinner!" Astoria said as she left to drag her husband out of his study and into the world of the living.

"A family dinner sounds lovely," Narcissa said as Scorpius helped her off the bench and into the dining room.

Scorpius nodded his head in agreement as he reflected on the two conversations he had had with the two women in his family. While they were different in nature, both were extremely important. They were the kind of stories that Scorpius wanted to store for future reference.

* * *

That was my take on the whole James/Lily-Snape thingy that JK Rowling wrote. I'm an avid James/Lily shipper, but I do love Severus as a character. He unfortunately got the short end of the stick.

I decided to save the Rose/Hadrian confrontation for the next chapter. I didn't want their drama to detract from Scorpius's important conversations.

I also love Narcissa. I imagine that she would remain proper and prim after the war, but more relaxed once she became comfortable with the situation. Notice how Narcissa's speech relates to the title of this story. I did that for a reason.

Thanks for reading everyone! Please review :)


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Please enjoy this next chapter.

* * *

Rose tapped her foot impatiently as she watched the fireplace in her living room for any signs of movement. Today was the day she was finally seeing Hadrian after months of no contact. She was both looking forward to and dreading the coming meeting.

The outcome was inevitable. After this meeting they would be formally broken up; Rose was sure of that much. However, depending on how the meeting would go would determine whether or not their friendship would be able to be at all salvaged.

Rose wasn't entirely sure what she wanted at this point. All she really knew was that she and Hadrian were over. It was almost a relief.

Rose stood up as she heard the tell-tale sign of the floo. She folded her arms across her chest as she watched Hadrian brush himself off and straighten up as he moved away from the fireplace.

Rose took the time Hadrian used to make himself presentable to study him. Hadrian looked nearly identical to when she had last seem him, aside from a slight tan and a few spots and small scars from training. Despite looking nearly physically identical, Rose couldn't help but note that there was something irrevocably different about him.

Hadrian wasn't the same boy she had grown to care about for the better part of a year. The man standing in front of her was different. He still looked young, but his eyes looked much older than his years.

"Hadrian," Rose said in way of greeting.

Hadrian started, but then smiled somewhat nervously. "Hello Rose," he said. Hello. Just a hello after months of no contact.

"Hello? That's really all you have to say to me? After months of no contact? Despite the fact that I'm still technically your girlfriend? Despite promising me you'd write everyday like I had been doing until you told me not to bother anymore? Really, a hello is just rich. Pathetic really at this point," Rose finished with a lame chuckle.

She thought she'd be angry, furious even. She thought that she'd rip into him like her mother did whenever she got mad at her father. But, now that the time had come, the only feeling that Rose could muster up was hurt. Hurt and confusion over not knowing why.

Hadrian took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He looked pained. "I know that sorry doesn't cut it and that this is really late, but I do want you to know how deeply sorry I am for hurting you. That's the last thing I ever wanted to do," Hadrian said apologetically as he looked at Rose through sad and pained eyes.

"YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT THAT IT'S TOO LATE! SORRY DOESN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COVER WHAT YOU PUT ME THROUGH. MONTHS HADRIAN, MONTHS! NOT EVEN ONE REPORT TO TELL ME HOW YOU WERE DOING OR IF YOU WERE OK. HELL, I HAD TO RESORT TO ASKING TEDDY AND JAMES JUST TO SEE IF YOU WERE STILL ALIVE! JAMES, HADRIAN, JAMES! I DON'T THINK THIS REALLY WARRANTS AN EXPLANATION ON MY PART CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT WE'RE OVER HADRIAN. CONSIDER THIS OUR 'OFFICIAL' BREAKUP. NOW YOU CAN JUST LEAVE AND WE CAN GO BACK ON WITH LIVING OUR OBVIOUSLY SEPARATE LIVES!" Rose yelled.

And there was the fiery and angry passion that she had been missing only moments ago.

"I just want to know why," Rose said in a much calmer tone.

"I can explain," Hadrian hastened to say after Rose's spectacular screaming rant.

Rose placed her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow. Hadrian took those cues as a sign to continue.

"Auror training was intense. After a week of boring rules and safety regulations we were immediately thrust into missions. They weren't the high up or classified missions that the full-fledged Aurors go on, but they were still real missions. Anyways, the mission I was assigned to was in Australia. I had to keep an eye out for mysterious magical activity in a predominately muggle town. The town had been experiencing bizarre happenings, and the Ministry wanted to make sure that there weren't any rouge witches or wizards on the loose. That's when I met her. She was a Muggle who worked at the grocery store I was assigned to as part of my undercover-" Hadrian was interrupted by an angry Rose.

"Her? That's where you met her?! You didn't write because you were too busy shacking up with another woman?" Rose asked. She was pissed.

"I never shacked up with anybody! I never cheated. I would never do that to you. Even when I realized that I didn't love you, I didn't cheat. I'm not a cheater. Besides, I'm pretty sure you don't love me either. At least not in the romantic form," Hadrian fired back quickly.

"That's beside the point! When you went off to Auror training I did love you! And I was terribly hurt when you didn't write back and actually told me not to write to you! And if you never cheated, why didn't you just tell me that you had met another girl?" Rose asked accusingly.

"I didn't want to break up with you over letter. I'm assuming that's why you didn't break up with me sooner, even after you realized you were still passionately and irrevocably in love with Scorpius. I did hear about your closet make out. Don't talk to me about cheating when you're the one who actually technically cheated," Hadrian said.

Rose flushed horribly as she remembered her closet make out with Scorpius. "How did you find out about that?" Rose finally managed.

"I think the better question is why you didn't tell me. I would have understood. We were technically over by that point anyways and only together in name. And I found out because James approached me a couple days ago and gave me the whole 'you hurt her, I kill you' speech. Only in his speech, which was actually more of a rant, I heard about you and Scorpius. I questioned James on how he knew. He said he heard it from Teddy, who had overheard a conversation between Albus and Lily," Hadrian said with a shrug.

Rose sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. This conversation was going nowhere. They weren't handling this like adults. They were just pointing fingers and accusing each other. At this point it didn't even matter who did what. They just needed to talk.

"Hadrian, why don't you sit down? I'm sorry for yelling and accusing you of cheating. I wasn't being entirely fair. Why don't we start this whole conversation over and act like adults this time around?" Rose asked tentatively as she sat down on the sofa.

Hadrian nodded quickly as he too sat down. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you. Even though I didn't cheat, I could have been honest about the way I felt," Hadrian said.

Rose nodded at his apology. It might not mean much to her now, but she could still tell that it was sincere. "I accept your apology Hadrian, but I do want you to know that you did hurt me. But, I can't fault you for who you love. The heart wants what the heart wants. Who am I to judge love? Especially since I technically never stopped loving Scorpius," Rose said.

"I accept your apology Rose. It sounds like we both could have been better at communicating our feelings. Long distance relationships are hard enough as it is," Hadrian added.

"So, we both agree that we are officially no longer a couple, correct?" Rose asked as she looked at Hadrian.

Hadrian nodded in agreement. "Like I said before, I think we both knew a long time ago that we were over. We just didn't want to break up over a letter," Hadrian said.

Rose nodded. "I thought breaking up over a letter would be too cruel. I also thought it would be a bit tacky. Besides, I think part of me just wanted to yell at you in person," Rose said as she grinned sheepishly.

Hadrian chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that my subconscious knew that I deserved to be yelled at. I knew what I was doing wasn't fair to you, but I honestly wasn't sure how to handle the situation," Hadrian said.

Rose shrugged. She hadn't really known how to handle the situation either. "We all make mistakes when we're young. The important thing is that we learn from them. I mean, we were sixteen and seventeen when we started dating, and we're seventeen and eighteen when we're breaking up. And, we were each other's first serious relationship. We should've known that things wouldn't turn out perfectly," Rose said.

"We're legally adults, but we're still so young. We haven't experienced much of life in retrospect," Hadrian added.

Rose nodded in agreement. While her years hadn't been the easiest, they were nothing compared to her parents and all their friends. Rose considered herself pretty lucky to only have to face boy troubles at her age when her parents had been fighting for their lives at the same age.

Rose's thoughts were interrupted by Hadrian.

"I'm sorry. What did you say? I kind of spaced out for a second," Rose said apologetically.

"That's OK. I just said that I needed to get going. I promised my mom and dad that I would be spending the night with them," Hadrian said as he got up to leave.

Hadrian was about to head back into the fireplace when he suddenly turned back towards Rose. "This might be too soon, but I was wondering whether you think we'll still be able to be friends?" Hadrian asked tentatively.

Rose smiled. "I do think that we might be able to be friends later on, but for now it is too soon. We need to focus on ourselves right now. I'm afraid that whatever friendship we might be able to have or salvage would be ruined if we tried to force it. We need some time alone to process everything and figure out what we want." Rose said.

Hadrian nodded in acceptance. "I understand. I just wanted to let you know that I do really wish to remain friends, even if it takes a while to get back to where we were. Goodbye for now Rose," Hadrian said as he threw the floo powder into the fireplace.

"Goodbye Hadrian. Have a Merry Christmas," Rose said as she watched Hadrian disappear into the flames.

* * *

Rose was concentrating on her feet. If she didn't she would most likely fall in front of all of the guests at Malfoy Manor. Rose blamed Lily for the shoes she was currently wearing.

Rose had invited Lily over earlier for some cousin bonding time, and so that she could help her get ready for the ball. Lily had took Rose's invite as a chance to pick out Rose's entire ball outfit.

Rose couldn't find fault in the dress Lily had picked out for her, but were the five inch heels really necessary? Rose had trouble walking in flats half the time. Heels were ten times worse.

"Rose, I can't hold you up the whole time," Lily said as she helped Rose walk towards the entrance to the Ballroom.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you stuffed me into these heels!" Rose retorted as she watched her feet.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You're wearing those shoes because they go well with your cerulean blue dress, which happens to match your eyes. You can thank me later when Scorpius's eyes fall out of his head," Lily replied smartly. She was used to her cousin complaining about heels.

"And you can thank me for convincing you not to wear that horrible pink dress that would have clashed horribly with your hair!" Rose said as she pointed towards Lily's more practicle red dress that was a couple of shades darker than her hair.

Lily had to grudgingly agree. She didn't know what she had been thinking when she had picked out that pink dress. Everyone in her family knew that pink was an absolute sworn off color unless you were one of the few people who did not have some variation of red hair.

Lily shuddered at the mere thought of walking into a room full of people while wearing pink. That was sure to capture Lysander's attention... Just not in the way she would hope.

"OK Rose. We're at the entrance. We have to descend one at a time so that Flower can announce our names to the guests. I'm going to go first because my name comes before yours in the alphabet. Do you think you'll be able to walk?" Lily asked in all seriousness.

Rose visibly gulped, but nodded in confirmation. She would master walking in her shoes, even if it took all night! Rose glared at the offending heels as she heard her cousin being announced to the guests. Then it was her turn.

Rose took a deep breath as she walked through the doors. Once through, Rose was greeted to the sight of couples dancing and people milling around. She could just make out her parents dancing and her brother chatting with James and Fred. Albus was dancing and with Mei, and Lily was perusing the food selection with Lysander. Lorcan was dancing by himself in the middle of the dance floor, having a blast.

Rose started when she heard Flower call out her full name to the crowd. She tried not to flush as she heard her middle name being announced. That's when she saw him.

Scorpius was waiting at the bottom of the stairs in dapper off grey suit that perfectly complemented her dress. His tie was an exact match, which made Rose believe that Lily had planned her outfit way before she had come over earlier.

Rose made it down the stairs without incident, and took the hand Scorpius offered. "Milady," Scorpius said as he brought her hand up for a sweet kiss.

Rose blushed as Scorpius led her to the middle of the dance floor. Her heart was racing madly, and she had butterflies in her stomach. This was just like the first time they had danced together.

"So how are you?" Scorpius asked. He knew she had met with Hadrian earlier in the day.

"I'm alright. Hadrian and I are officially broken up now. We had both known that it was over for a while, but today just made it official. It brought us both a sense of closure. We're both ready to move on with our lives now," Rose said.

Scorpius nodded. He was trying not to jump up and down in happiness. He was already nervous. The promise ring his grandmother had given him was burning a hole in his pocket. All he wanted to do was give it to Rose. Now he might be able to since she was officially free.

Scorpius was about to speak, but was interrupted by the arrival of Rose's father. "Mind if I cut in? I'd like to have a word with my daughter," Ron said as Scorpius respectfully bowed out.

"What did you want to talk about Dad?" Rose asked as she swayed with her father. Ron Weasley wasn't the best dancer. It was best for all involved to just sway instead of attempting to move.

"Your brother was home when Hadrian came over. He said that he could hear you yelling through his silencing charm. Why didn't you mention that he had been over when your mother and I got home? I know I would have liked to have a stern word with him. He's turning out to be a fine Auror, but he was a crappy boyfriend," Ron said as he focused on not crushing his daughter's feet.

"I guess I didn't say anything because we had resolved the issues we had. Yes I did yell, but after that we sat down and talked like adults. We came to an agreement and an understanding. I appreciate you wanting to help me dad, but I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm seventeen, and I'll be eighteen before I graduate. We all will be. We can't rely on you guys to fix everything forever, even if we sometimes wish we could," Rose jokingly told her Dad who smiled fondly at her.

"I know Rosie. I guess I just think of you as my bright little girl who was so full of love, passion, and curiosity. I remember the first time you cried. It wasn't because you got hurt physically, but from the mean teasing the Muggle boys at your primary school put you through because of your hair. Granted, it was rather bushy at the time. But I remember how you ran home and jumped into my arms. You told me about the boys and asked me to magic their mouths shut. Wanted to do that to them for hurting my little girl, but obviously I couldn't. But I still remember the feeling I got whenever you would come to me with your problems. Sure you went to your mother, but you would usually always come to me first. I guess I just don't want to let you go yet," Ron said as he began to tear up a bit.

"Dad! Are you crying? Please don't cry! I'll always be your daughter, no matter what happens now or in the future. If you're crying now, how will you be at my wedding?" Rose jokingly asked.

That sobered Ron up rather quickly. "Whoa! No weddings. You are seventeen! You don't need to even think about marriage until you're thirty! You just got out of one relationship, no need to jump into another," Ron said as he glanced at Scorpius who was dancing nearby with Narcissa.

"Dad, I can't promise that. I've loved Scorpius for a long time. What I feel for him is real. And if I'm honest with myself, what I feel for him is greater than anything I had ever felt for Hadrian. I think this one was a long time coming," Rose said.

Ron just grunted. He didn't have anything against Scorpius, he just didn't like the idea of his daughter with anyone, period. And, he really didn't want to lose the bet. "Fine. Just promise me that you wouldn't get together until after the Easter Holidays," Ron said seriously.

"Why?" Rose asked suspiciously.

"I may or may not have placed a 50 galleon bet on you and Scorpius with your Uncle George," Ron said.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Rose yelled rather suddenly. That caused everyone in the near vicinity to stop what they were doing and turn to stare at the two blushing Weasleys.

Rose saw her mother heading her way with a disapproving frown on her face. She was most likely going to come and berate them for their poor public behavior.

It seemed that Ron had caught sight of his less than happy wife at the same time his daughter did. "You go left and I'll go right?" Ron whispered as Hermione made her way through the crowd.

"Deal," Rose said as she separated herself from her father. They had perfected this routine over the years. It would be much harder for Hermione to berate them if they weren't in the same place.

Scorpius chuckled to himself as he watched Rose and Ron head in opposite directions. He could just make out Hermione's confused face through the crowd. She was most likely wondering where her husband and daughter had disappeared to.

"Scorpius. What are you looking at?" Draco said as he attempted to see what his son found so amusing.

"I was just watching Rose and her father. Something they did just made me laugh," Scorpius replied.

"Ahh, your grandmother told me that she gave you the promise ring. She also explained why she never gave it to me. I just wanted to check in on you," Draco said.

"Check in on me?" Scorpius asked confused.

"I know you son. You have that determined gleam in your eye. Don't give Rose the ring unless you are one hundred percent sure Scorpius. That ring is powerful, but it can also be dangerous if given to the wrong person," Draco cautioned.

"Dad, I'm sure about Rose. I'm more sure than I've ever been in my whole life. I love her, and I'm pretty sure she loves me back," Scorpius said as he looked his father in the eye. He knew from experience that his father was more likely to believe him if he stood tall and looked him in the eye.

Draco studied his son for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. "Very well Scorpius. I trust your judgement. Miss Weasley is a lovely girl, and she will make a great addition to our family when the time comes. Just promise me one thing," Draco said seriously.

"What?" Scorpius asked.

"Don't get together with Rose until after the Easter Holidays," Draco said before turning to walk away, leaving behind a confused Scorpius.

* * *

The story will pick back up next chapter. We will see more of the Brotherhood.


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Happy reading! :)

 **WARNING:** allusions to Dramione.

Scenes with swearing and some gross gore references. Be warned. Rated M for a reason.

* * *

Draco chuckled to himself as he accepted the cocktail drink the waiter offered him on his way to the back patio. The look on his son's face had been priceless. Scorpius was incredibly smart, but he could be a bit dense at times.

Draco was sure that Scorpius had absolutely no clue what he had meant about not getting together with Rose until after the Easter Holidays. Only time would tell whether his son abided by what he had asked of him.

The first thing Draco had done at the party, after taking a large sip of the nearest alcoholic beverage, had been to seek out George Weasley. Draco had heard that George Weasley was the one in charge of a large bet with most of Wizarding Britain involving both his son and Miss Weasley.

The person who guessed the closest date to the actual date when Rose and Scorpius officially got together would win the entire pool. Draco was determined to win. Winning bets was in his blood. Half of the Malfoy fortune had been won through bets, both legal and illegal, and Draco had no qualms about continuing that particular tradition.

Draco would have joined the bet earlier, but he had wanted to make sure his son actually did have feelings for Rose before placing his bet. After he had won that particular bet against his wife, Draco had felt confident enough to join the larger bet.

The first rule of betting was to know the subject on which one is betting. This particular bet involved people, so Draco made sure that he knew as much about Rose Weasley as possible as he already knew plenty about his son after seventeen years in the same house as him.

It was so blatantly obvious that Rose loved Scorpius—it had been evident to Draco that she had loved his son since she was eleven. Scorpius, however, had been a bit trickier than that. Draco had been a bit worried when he had brought home Missy (Melissa). Not only was she completely wrong for him, but she was also a class A bitch (and a bit mentally unstable in Draco's opinion).

He really did not want to know what his son had been thinking with that one. Draco had been relieved when Scorpius had confessed his love of Rose to him a while back. Draco knew Rose was kind, smart, and good for Scorpius. She was basically the exact opposite of Margie (Melissa).

Draco's thought were interrupted by the arrival of a harried looking Hermione Weasley, who was huffing and puffing in a rather irritating manner, in Draco's opinion.

"Is something the matter?" Draco asked coolly. He didn't like to be interrupted in the middle of his thoughts.

Hermione turned her infamous glare on him. She had already been in a bad mood to begin with—a snarky, albeit reformed Malfoy, did nothing to improve her temper.

"I'm looking for my husband and daughter. I wanted to have a word with them, but they've seemed to have disappeared into thin air," Hermione responded irritably as she took a long drag from her drink.

"No need to take whatever they did out on me Granger. I'm just out here trying to enjoy the cooler air," Draco drawled as he pointed to the outside wintry scenery.

"It's Weasley! And I don't mean to take it out on you, I'm just rather frustrated. Every time we're at an event and I want to talk to my family, they somehow always conveniently disappear on me! This happens every single time," Hermione said moodily as she stared at the falling snow past the balcony.

"Well I can tell you that they aren't out here," Draco replied smartly.

Hermione rolled her eyes since Draco had just pointed out the obvious. They were the only two out here. Ron was probably trying to find something to eat, and Rose was most likely off with Scorpius. She didn't even want to know what Hugo was getting himself into. At this point she just hoped he wouldn't end up setting the Manor on fire.

"I'm aware that they aren't out here Draco. I've given up. They obviously don't want to talk to me," Hermione said somewhat sadly. It was Christmas Eve, and her family was avoiding her. It was really just how she imagined spending her first Christmas Eve away from their home since her marriage.

"Look, I'm sure they aren't trying to hurt your feelings. Maybe they just need space," Draco said cautiously. He didn't know how to deal with Granger-Weasley anymore. They weren't kids, so he obviously couldn't act the way he did in school—not that he'd want to anymore anyways.

This was really the first real conversation he'd had on his own with Hermione in years. The only other conversation that he could remember had been after his trial, when he had thanked her for aiding in his defense. That had also been when he was still hopelessly in love with her. Things were different now.

Hermione just grunted a reply, which made Draco frown. That had obviously been the wrong thing to say. Time for a topic change then.

"So, it looks like it's going to be my son and your daughter. A Malfoy and a Granger-Weasley. Who would have thought?" Draco joked.

Hermione offered a weak smile at Draco's change of topic. "It is a bit strange in some ways, but not so much in others," Hermione said cryptically as she glanced at Draco out of the corner of her eye.

"What do you mean by that?" Draco asked slowly as he held his breath.

"I'm not stupid Draco. I've always been aware of this... attraction for lack of a better word, between us. Don't tell me you've never felt it. Even though we were enemies in school and during the war, there was always this thing. It was almost as if I enjoyed arguing with you and trying to one-up you. So I don't think our kids falling in love is that strange at all," Hermione said.

Draco let out the breath he had been holding slowly. "You're right Granger, sorry, Weasley. There has always been something between us. We just never acknowledged it. We grew up in two different environments and to different values. Sometimes I wonder if that attraction could have turned into something if our situations had been different," Draco said almost wistfully.

Hermione regarded Draco with sad eyes. "Sometimes I wonder the same thing. I did have a crush on you all of first year before I became friends with Harry and Ron, and I still had a crush on you after we became friends. I never did understand why you hated Harry and Ron so much. I guess I always thought that it was just a silly school rivalry. That is until that day you called me a Mudblood on the Quidditch field. That really put things into perspective for me. That's when I realized that you were really just mean, and not just taking out schoolboy frustrations," Hermione said sadly.

Draco frowned as he remembered the events from that day. "I was so full of myself back then. My father was rich, powerful, and had friends in high places. I thought I was invincible. I truly believed in everything I had been taught as a child because that was all I knew. That's why I took a lot out on you. You were a living and breathing contradiction. According to my father and everything I had been taught, you were supposed to be stupid, slow, and unable to understand the most basic of concepts due to the inferiority of your blood. And yet you were smart, kind, compassionate—you always had the best bloody grades in the entire class! You infuriated me as much as you intrigued me. It was hard balancing that hatred and admiration," Draco explained.

"You hated me? Truly and honestly hated me because you were taught to believe that? I never hated you, Draco. I may have hated the way you treated others and the way you acted, but I never hated you. A small part of me understood that you grew up differently from the way Harry, Ron, and I did... I guess I couldn't hate you for the family you were born into. You didn't have any control over that," Hermione said.

"But I did have choices when I was older. I actually wanted to be a Death Eater at first. That should clue you into how messed up I was. And as for you not hating me... Didn't you call me a 'foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach' and then proceed to slap me across the face?" Draco asked as he cocked an eyebrow.

Hermione blushed furiously at that memory. It had been the first and last time she had physically assaulted someone without being provoked. "Yes, well that was in the heat of the moment! You had just gotten an innocent animal executed!" Hermione said heatedly as she remembered how big of a part Draco had been that day.

"He hurt my arm!" Draco retorted.

"It was just a scratch!" Hermione fired back.

Draco glared at her a few moments before sighing deeply. "I wouldn't blame you for hating me. Not now, and not back then. There are many things I regret. The first thing would be not trying to shake off the remnants of what I had believed in as a child earlier. I began questioning things seriously right after I became a Death Eater. Everything was such a contradiction and a lie. My father was already in too deep, and he had dragged my mother along for the ride. My first task was to kill Dumbledore, a wizard from one of the Purest Bloodlines in the wizarding world. Why should I kill a Pureblood? I knew he was a threat to Voldemort, but Voldemort had always preached about preserving the bloodlines by eliminating all the problems. But we killed Purebloods the same as Half-Bloods, Muggleborns, and Muggles. And guess what? Every last one of them bled the same color blood. There was no mud in their veins. It was all a fucking lie!" Draco said furiously.

Hermione was about to reply when Draco suddenly continued.

"That wasn't even the worst part! The worst part was seeing you, the smartest, brightest, most compassionate witch I knew being tortured by my insane aunt in my bloody drawing room and not being able to do a damn thing without getting myself, my mother, you, and everyone else murdered on the spot! It was seeing you in so much pain that made me face the uncomfortable truth that I had been living with for a long time. It was in that moment that I suddenly understood why I thought of you so much, why I always picked on you, why I always secretly admired you even though I tried my damnedest not to. It was in those moments that I realized I loved you, and that I had already lost you due to the unfortunate circumstances that defined my life. I knew that you loved Weasley by that point, and he obviously loved you since he was screaming your name over and over. I never did anything. I was too much of a coward," Draco finished softly.

Draco was startled by the feel of a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see the kind eyes of Hermione looking back at him.

"Draco, you aren't a coward. The man I see before me is an honest, hardworking, and compassionate man who loves his family deeply. You are an excellent business man and an even better father. You broke the cycle Draco. You chose to defy the Malfoy traditions by teaching your son to be fair and open-minded. You taught him to value everyone for what they are worth, not for their wealth or the status of their blood. You aren't perfect Draco, but you certainly aren't the same foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach that you were in school," Hermione said with a smile.

Draco smiled back. A large part of him felt relieved. He felt light, almost as if a very large weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It was a wonderful feeling to experience.

Draco and Hermione's bonding session was interrupted by the arrival of their respective spouses.

"Mione! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Ron said as he approached the two with Astoria close behind him.

"What were you doing out here darling? It's freezing out here!" Astoria asked concerned.

"We were just talking about the past, and were pondering over what things would have been like if things had been different. And you were looking for me Ronald? I was under the impression that you had been trying to avoid me," Hermione said sternly.

Ron had the decency to look ashamed as he led his wife back into the Ball Room. Draco turned to Astoria after he had made sure that the Weasleys had made it out of hearing distance.

"How much did you hear?" Draco asked his wife. He had thought he had seen her begin to approach but then duck behind the curtains rather quickly when she had realized he wasn't alone.

"Almost all of it. I had come to find you because Scorpius came to me asking why you wanted to wait until after the Easter Holidays for him to get together with Rose. I was about to say something when I realized you weren't alone. I was already on the balcony, and I was afraid that my leaving would have interrupted your conversation. I don't want you to think I was spying on you. I trust you Draco. We might not be soul mates, but I do love you," Astoria said.

"I love you too Tori. My life hasn't been easy, but it's certainly improved since you arrived in it," Draco said as he began to dance with his wife.

"That conversation must have done wonders for your conscious. You've never been this romantic with me before," Astoria teased.

Draco's response was drowned out by a series of crashes and horrible sounding screams from inside the ball room. Draco exchanged a confused glance with his wife before whipping out his wand.

"Tori, stay here and hide. Keep your wand at the ready. I'm going to go and investigate," Draco said as he moved towards the doors.

He was stopped by the feel of his wife's hand on his forearm. "Like hell I'll stay and hide. We're in this together!" Astoria said as she marched past her husband.

Draco had to rush to keep pace with his wife. He almost ran into her when she stopped suddenly a few feet into the ball room. Her reason for stopping was easily apparent.

In the center of their ball room, from the largest chandelier, hung a dead body. It wasn't just any body; it was the body of Nigel Wolpert who had been missing for months. At least it was presumed to be Nigel, as the message written in blood on the floor underneath claimed it was. It was hard to tell seeing as all the flesh had been stripped from the body. It was enough to make Draco feel like puking.

It was a harsh reality, a blast from the past. The last time he had had a dead body in his house was when Voldemort was still alive. Seeing another dead body this close was almost too much to handle.

Draco grabbed his wife's hand and began scanning the crowd for this son. He saw Harry and Ron roping off the area while Teddy and James were in the process of placing his home on lockdown. He saw Lily, Lysander, and Lorcan standing close together. Lily looked rather faint. Mei was sobbing into Albus's arms, Hugo and Fred looked solemn, and it looked as though Louis had fainted.

Draco kept scanning the crowds, seeing many more Weasleys and other familiar faces. He let out a deep breath he didn't know he had been holding as he spotted his son on the far side of the ball room with Rose. Both of them looked horrified, but unharmed.

Draco's view of his son was cut off by a harried looking Harry Potter.

"Malfoy. I need to know if your wards have been compromised. My sons are setting up an anti-apparition charm so that no one can enter or leave the premises without my permission. But I need to know now whether or not your wards have been compromised! Malfoy! Are you listening to me?!" Harry demanded as he waved his hand in front of Draco's shocked face.

Harry's yell seemed to shake Draco out of whatever shock he had been in. "Yes. I would have felt the moment someone unauthorized had come in if the wards had been working properly," Draco said as he performed a spell that confirmed that his wards had indeed been tampered with.

"FUCK! That means whoever did this is probably long gone by now. We need to check the rest of the house before we let anyone out of this room. Who knows what other surprises the Brotherhood may have left? FUCK!" Harry screamed yet again as he stormed off.

It was funny, Draco thought, whenever he looked back at that particular memory. It was funny that the thing that registered the most with him in that moment was that Harry Potter had just said the F-Word in front of a room full of 100+ people.

* * *

Thanks for reading :)

Shit just got even more real.

 **Who is your favorite character from The Choices We Make?**


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Blood. Stench. Gore. Death.

Those were the words that were currently running through Rose's mind. She had seen more death than she would have liked to in her seventeen years, but this death was indubitably the worst.

Everyone was sitting in the ball room in their fancy dresses and dress suits. They hadn't been allowed to leave for security reasons. They had all had to sit through the Auror investigation as the hanging body was being processed.

Uncle Harry had just recently cleared the body for removal, but the blood on the floor and the stench of decaying flesh was still strong. After a series of complex tests, it was confirmed that the hanging body was that of Nigel Wolpert. His remains needed to be processed, and then he would need to be returned to his grieving family.

Uncle Harry and Rose's father were currently analyzing the blood on the ground to see if it was from only Nigel, or multiple different victims. James and Teddy were talking to the new Aurors and the trainees at the scene. Rose could make out Hadrian in the group that was receiving instructions.

Rose was alerted to someone's presence by the feel of Scorpius's hand tightening on her shoulder. Rose looked up to see Hadrian approaching with a voice recorder. He had come to take their statements.

Rose felt Scorpius's hand move from her shoulder to her waist as he instinctively pulled her closer. If Hadrian had noticed, he didn't acknowledge it. He was there for professional reasons only.

"I know I'm probably one of the last people you want to see now, but I need to take your statements. The quicker we get through this the quicker we'll be out of each other's lives," Hadrian said. He was mindful of the fact that they both needed space right now. The only way they'd be able to interact at all would be professionally.

"I thought you said that the trainees didn't handle the high profile cases," Rose said as Hadrian got his equipment ready.

"You could say that training has been cut short. We've been in training for over a year. Initiation was going to happen after the New Year. I guess everything got moved up due to the circumstances tonight. Everyone who would have been initiated after New Year's was called in with direct orders from Harry and Ron. This is our first assignment as real Aurors," Hadrian said as he finished getting ready. "Who wants to go first?"

"I guess I will. I just want to get this over with," Rose said. The smell was starting to make her sick. She knew why they weren't allowed to leave, but it was still horrible all the same.

"OK. Let's start from the beginning. From the moment you stepped foot into the Manor tonight," Hadrian said as he readied his finger on the 'record' button.

Rose took a deep breath before she began to recount what had been a truly magical night before the body was discovered.

FLASHBACK

 _Lily and Rose were getting ready at her house. Hugo, Hermione, and Dad Ron gone to the Manor to get ready and to bring their stuff to their respective rooms. Lily and Rose arrived half an hour late. Lily had explained that it was always good to be fashionably late to these events._

 _Lily and Rose apparated in front of the Manor gates, where they were checked by wards and by guards before they were let inside. The first thing they did was walk to the ball room. Lily had to hold Rose up because she hadn't gotten a hang of walking in the ridiculous pair of heels Lily had picked out for her. Rose recalled how she had almost broken her ankle apparating Lily and herself to the Manor._

 _Lily went in first since her name was before Rose's in the alphabet. Rose entered next. The first thing Rose did was dance with Scorpius. They danced for a bit before being interrupted by Rose's father. He wanted to talk to Rose._

 _At one point during Rose and Ron's conversation, Rose recalled how she may or may not have shouted a bit too loudly, which may or may not have prompted her mother to come over and try and find and lecture them. Rose's father and she both decided to go their separate ways after that point._

 _After that Rose explained that she went to find Scorpius, who had just finished a conversation with his father. After that both of them decided to dance again. Rose lost track of how long they danced for, but after getting tired of that they decided to go and get something to eat and drink and just talk._

 _Rose didn't see anything, but she heard the first scream. She recognized it as Lily's. Scorpius and Rose immediately rushed towards where they thought they heard the scream come from._

 _There was already a circle of people surrounding the chandelier. They were all looking up. Rose decided to look up to see what they were all staring at and promptly wished that had not been the case. It was one of the worst things she had ever seen in her life._

 _It was then that Rose saw the body. It was stripped of all its flesh, so that the muscles and intestines were on full display. The eyes were propped open, and the mouth was frozen in a scream of terror. There was blood pooled at the bottom._

 _There was a message written in blood. It said, 'This is what is left of Nigel Wolpert. You have been warned. The storm is fast approaching, and the sky will be raining blood.' It was signed with the Brotherhood's insignia._

 _Then all chaos broke out. Rose's uncle and father pushed their way to the front of the scene and began performing complicated spells while Teddy and James simultaneously tried to keep everyone back._

 _Rose could vaguely hear Uncle Harry yelling at Mr. Malfoy, and then yelling out a string of profanities. Rose thought he said something about the wards not being right? They were working just fine when Rose arrived with Lily, and Rose had thought they were some of the last people to arrive._

END FLASHBACK

"I don't know if that was any help," Rose said apologetically as she finished her monologue.

"It actually does help. We know that the wards were working at around 9 o'clock. So that means someone altered them a little after nine up until now. That means that whoever did this got in and out in a little under two hours. This gives a timeline to work with," Hadrian said as he double checked to make sure he had his recording.

"Is it my turn?" Scorpius asked as Hadrian turned towards him.

"I'm afraid so," Hadrian said as he began to record.

"I was at the Manor all day. I live here after all. My mother was in one of her moods again, and my father was locked in his study. I decided to spend the day with my grandmother. She wanted to work in her greenhouse..."

Rose started to tune Scorpius out. It wasn't that she didn't want to hear about his day... She was just so tired. She needed some shut-eye. Rose yawned as her head hit Scorpius's shoulder.

The last thing she remembered before falling into an exhausted sleep was Scorpius's arm pulling her closer into his warm embrace.

* * *

Melissa waded through the rain storm as she made her way to the meeting. She hated the rain, but right now it reflected her mood. She had seen her first dead body today. It had been horrible, and not at all as she had expected.

Her job had been to be stationed a half a mile away from Malfoy Manor, and to enter with the body once the coast was clear because she still had some access to the wards.

Granted, the Malfoys had changed them after Scorpius broke up with her, but some of the more ancient wards still recognized her as being 'with a Malfoy,' even though she wasn't.

That was how she had managed to get in. It had been almost too simple. A complex illusion charm, some confunduses, and then viola. She was able to skip in virtually undetected.

Her presence would probably have only seemed like an overly large animal entering the premises. Besides, it was Christmas Eve. The likeliness of anyone in the Malfoy family paying attention to the wards was pretty much at zero.

They had really gone soft on security after Lucius's imprisonment. Oh well. Their mistakes were the Brotherhood's gain. And it had been a great victory. Only at what cost?

Melissa wasn't entirely sure she was comfortable with what had happened at the Manor. Sure she hadn't actually killed or tortured the man, or even stripped his skin off. No, she just had to magically prop him up under a heavy, timed illusion charm, and magically write the message in blood that would only turn visible once the body became visible. Her job had been relatively easy, but that didn't mean she had to like it...

After everything had been set in place, Melissa had to sneak back out of the Manor. If she was caught, she would most likely be forced to take Veritaserum. That would be extremely dangerous.

Getting in was easy, but getting out was hard. The wards seemed extra strong on the way out. Either they had found out about her presence and had put up more defenses, or Mrs. Malfoy had strengthened the wards to prevent Scorpius from sneaking out in the middle of the night.

Melissa had to snort at that. Scorpius was too much of a good kid to do something as rebellious as sneaking out of the house. Besides, now that he was seventeen he could apparate in and out of any place in the house whenever he chose.

Melissa had to tweak the wards a bit to get herself out before the body revealed itself. She had only just made it in time. Minutes after she had gotten out of the Manor, the wards had been tripled and strengthened. She could feel the force of them a half mile away.

She dreaded this meeting. She knew that Bernard would be gloating and having a toast to the Brotherhood's success at ridding the world of yet another pointless reminder of darker times, and then beginning to plan his next attack or murder.

Yes, Melissa considered what happened to Nigel murder. Bernard called it purifying, but it was still murder. When Melissa said she had wanted revenge on Rose Weasley and all of her friends, she had been thinking along the lines of social ruin and total humiliation. Murder was a bit too far.

Not that she could voice her concerns. When she had brought up the question of torture, Bernard had twisted everything around so that it seemed like she was naïve and stupid for even asking such a question. Torture wasn't torture. It was a way of extracting potentially dangerous information, or some other crap along those lines.

Whatever. Melissa didn't buy that. She knew she was a manipulative bitch, and perhaps not totally right in the head, but she wasn't a psychopath. That much she knew.

Melissa drew her coat tighter around herself has she reached up to knock on the door. An eyeball peered out after a few seconds, and then the door opened to let her in.

Melissa shuddered as the warm air hit her. Although it was warmer in southern France than it had been in England, it was still ridiculously cold out. The warm air only served as a temporary relief. What lay in the next room was anything but warm.

Melissa blinked as her eyes adjusted to the low lights of the library. She could make out a whole bunch of people in various chairs and on various couches. They seemed to be appear relatively happy. Except happy wasn't the right word. Maybe smug was a better fit?

"Ah, Melissa, so happy you could join us. You did an excellent job. Nearly perfect execution," Bernard said as he swirled his blood red wine around in his glass.

"Thanks," Melissa said uncertainly. She didn't like the way Bernard was looking at her. It was like he was the hunter and she was the prey.

"Care to tell me what went wrong?" Bernard asked as he took a sip.

"What do you mean?" Melissa asked. Bernard did not like mistakes.

"Your presence was detected. You didn't dismantle the wards correctly on your way back out of the Manor. If Potter is smart enough, and I know he is, he will be able to figure out that the person who got in must have had some ties to the Malfoy family or had been considered to be with a Malfoy at some point in time. Who does that leave, Melissa? Lucius is dead, by our doing of course, and everyone else in the Malfoy family is accounted for. They have solid alibies, as do everyone else at the party. Potter is going to go digging to see who had connections to the Malfoy family. Whose name is going to be one of the first to pop up? Yours! It doesn't take a genius to figure out you were the only other one who could have gotten in. Once they figure that out, they'll figure out that you were the mole! You have become useless to us! Your mediocrity and carelessness has set us back months! We had planned another attack before New Year's, and you were our ticket in! Now that plan is ruined! You have become a liability now," Bernard said as he slammed his glass down and stalked over to her.

Melissa backed away in fear. She had never seen Bernard this angry before. "Wh-what are you going to do?" Melissa asked as she reached for her wand that wasn't there.

Bernard was twirling Melissa's wand around in his hands. "When will you learn? I am ten times smarter and more powerful than you are. You wouldn't be able to best me in a duel even if you tried," Bernard said as he snapped Melissa's wand in half over his knee.

Melissa could only watch helplessly as the remnants of her wand fell to the floor at Bernard's feet. She was toast. She couldn't protect herself, and no one else seemed to want to risk their necks for her safety.

"Your punishment is necessary Melissa. I need to use you as an example to ensure future compliance, and as a way to avoid future mistakes. Try not to take it personally," Bernard said as a purple flamed vulture shot out of his wand towards Melissa.

Melissa felt an excruciating pain, heard a high pitched scream of agony, and then heard and felt nothing else.

* * *

Harry Potter was stumped, and he was in Malfoy's personal study. This day just went from weird and horrible to totally bizarre and awkward. He was trying to concentrate on the facts, but that was extremely hard to do considering Ron was snooping around rather noisily.

"Weasley! Would you stop touching my stuff! I can assure you that you wouldn't find any Dark Magic, or anything that could potentially incriminate myself or my family!" Draco snapped irritably. He knew Ron was just doing his job, but it seemed like Ron was enjoying his job too much at the moment.

Ron was about to retort when he was cut off by a tired Harry. "Ron. He's right. Hermione confirmed that Draco was with her for the better part of the evening on the back balcony. There's no way you can be in two places at once (well, at least not now that all of the Time-Turners were destroyed), and you've checked under that jar three times already! If there was something to find, you would have already found it! Now please come over here, I need your help," Harry said as Ron grudgingly put down the jar he was holding and took his spot next to Harry.

"What do you see Ron?" Harry asked as he looked at all the information they had on the case.

"I see a bunch of notes and dates. It's all jumbled up," Ron said as he squinted and tilted his head.

"Exactly! These dates mean something, I know they do! I just can't seem to see what they're trying to tell me..." Harry said as he too stared at the dates.

By this time, Draco had made his way over from where he was moodily standing by the wall to look at the dates too. Although he thought of himself as smarter than the Dynamic Duo, he too was stumped by the dates, which seemed pretty random.

"AAHHHAAA!" Ron suddenly said as he stared at the dates. His sudden exclamation caused both Draco and Harry to jump.

"What is it Ron?!" Harry asked half amused and half annoyed.

"These dates aren't random Harry. Most of them match up to the Hogsmeade visits at Hogwarts! One of the major attacks was at Hogsmeade during a school trip! You know how we suspected there was a mole? Well these dates support that theory," Ron said excitedly as he ruffled through his briefcase for something.

"Here it is!" Ron said proudly as he held up all the dates of the Hogsmeade trips. We got these at the beginning of the year. I always keep them in case I need them! I guess it's a good thing I did!" Ron said as he started cross referencing the dates and then applying them to a map of England.

Harry and Draco exchanged looks. While Ron's strokes of brilliance weren't a surprise to Harry (how else would Ron have become Deputy Head of the Auror Office?), they certainly were to Draco. Harry looked smug while Draco looked like everything he knew in life was suddenly proven wrong.

All three men drew their wands at the knock at the door, only to lower them when they saw it was their respective wives.

"The kids are all in their rooms. We just wanted to see how you were doing, and help in any way we can," Ginny whispered as she, Hermione, and Astoria entered the room.

"We don't have to whisper Gin. The kids are all probably still awake, and this Manor is huge. The chances of them hearing us is slim to none," Harry teased gently.

"Old habits die hard I guess. They all seemed younger tonight for some reason. But I guess seeing a gruesome death can make anyone feel younger," Ginny said angrily.

Hermione nodded. "I thought we fought that war to keep our children safe, and so they could live their lives without the shadow of death leaning over them!" Hermione added.

"What are you working on?" Astoria asked Ron, who had gone back to transcribing the dates.

"I've managed to link many of the dates to Hogsmeade trips. This supports our theory that there was a mole in Hogwarts. Most likely another student. Now I'm trying to see if the mole could have been the one who got into the Manor tonight..." Ron said as he glared at the dates and the map.

"Ron, that's brilliant!" Hermione said as she walked over to see what her husband had accomplished.

"But no one has ever really been to the Manor except for Rose, Albus, and the rest of your family. No one else would be even close enough to be considered a Malfoy or as 'being with a Malfoy'," Astoria said.

"Tori, I think you're forgetting about Massey. Remember how Scorpius brought her home for that disastrous dinner?" Draco asked.

Astoria screwed up her nose in confusion before realizing that her husband was actually talking about Scorpius's ex-girlfriend Melissa. "Melissa? You think she could be behind all of this? She may not have been the nicest girl, but do you think she could have murdered someone?" Astoria asked concerned.

"All evidence points to multiple killers. The torture these people used was way more advanced than anything any seventh year would know. Chances are that someone else tortured and killed Wolpert, and had Melissa dump the body since she had partial access to the wards," Harry said.

"What do we know about Melissa? Why would she get involved with the Brotherhood?" Ron asked.

"Well, did Scorpius and Melissa have a bad breakup?" Hermione asked.

Draco cringed. "Scorpius wrote home about how Melissa had cheated on him with Hadrian while pretending to be Rose in order to hurt Rose and make their own relationship stronger. A load of crack, as Scorpius described it. He asked me to use all my power as a Malfoy to destroy Melissa and her family if she so much as breathed a word about what had transpired to anyone. The only ones to know of this were Albus, Hadrian, Scorpius, and Melissa," Draco finished to the astonished looks from Harry, Ron, and Astoria.

Hermione and Ginny however, had already heard the story from Rose, who had heard from Albus.

"HE DID WHAT?! MIONE! DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS? YOU DID! I CAN TELL BY THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE! AND YOU STILL LET ME LET THAT CHEATER GO OUT WITH MY LITTLE GIRL?!" Ron yelled.

His yelling was only rivaled by Astoria's. "DRACO MALFOY! HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME THIS?! BETTER YET, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON SCORPIUS! WHY WOULDN'T HE TELL ME?! I'M HIS MOTHER!" Astoria screamed. She was a bit hurt and insulted that neither her son nor husband had clued her in on how bad the breakup had been.

"Now isn't the time. We need to focus on Melissa. Would she have wanted revenge?" Harry asked.

"Most likely. She reminded me so much of Pansy Parkinson. One of Melissa's best friends is Daisy Parkinson, Pansy's daughter. They are also both close to William Nott. I'd check them both out," Draco said.

Harry nodded. "We will look into them, but I think we need to find Melissa first," Harry said as everyone else nodded in agreement.

Harry was about to say something else, but he was interrupted by the arrival of Dean Thomas's Patronus. "Harry, we have a body. Said her name was Melissa, and that she needed to talk to Harry Potter. She had third degree magical burns over 85% of her body. We don't know if she'll make it. You better come quickly," Dean's echoing voice said as his Patronus dissipated.

Harry exchanged glances and nods with Ron. "Well, we found Melissa," Ron said rather unnecessarily.

"Yes, but here's hoping we're not too late," Harry said before he and Ron apparated to St. Mungo's.

* * *

Will Melissa die? Keep reading to find out!

Please review :)


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Bernard smiled to himself. Melissa's badly burnt body had been sent to St. Mungo's with a one-way, untraceable Portkey. Everything was going according to plan.

Bernard had been planning on getting rid of Melissa for a while, and her recent screw-up gave him the perfect excuse for doing so. Not only had Melissa been an annoying brat, but she also wasn't cut out for some of the more grisly work that the job sometimes entailed.

Melissa was most likely being taken care of and asking to see Harry Potter. Too bad the last thing she would remember was her breakup with Scorpius, and her juvenile feelings of animosity towards Rose Weasley. She wouldn't remember anything about the Brotherhood and her involvement with the group.

Bernard had shot Melissa with his own, specially devised version of Fiendfyre. Normal fiendfyre is extremely hard to control, and it would burn and consume everything in sight until nothing was left in its path. Bernard's version was purple, and much easier to control. It also wasn't deadly, unless he wanted it to be.

Bernard didn't want to kill Melissa. She had after all been somewhat useful. Besides, there were some punishments far worse than death. One such punishment was perpetual pain.

Fiendfyre is cursed fire imbued with Dark Magic. The only way to counter any variation of Fiendfyre was to create more Fiendfyre, a trick that most people did not know or understand. In fact, Bernard was almost 100% sure that no one had ever attempted to stop the use of Fiendfyre or its long term effects by using more Fiendfyre.

Melissa's burns would only reopen as soon as the Healer's managed to get them halfway healed. Melissa would be in perpetual pain until one of the Healer's used Fiendfyre on her, which they would never think to do. Fiendfyre was extremely uncontrollable, and Melissa was being kept in the largest Magical Hospital in England. Using Fiendfyre in a place full of sick and injured people who would not be able to outrun the flames was not a good idea.

"Bernard. Hendriks says that Harry Potter and Ron Weasley have arrived at St. Mungo's," Erasmus said as he entered Bernard's private study.

"Excellent. Potter and Weasley will be preoccupied for a while trying to get Melissa healed and talking. Too bad she doesn't remember anything," Bernard said as he twirled his wand between his fingers.

"Bernard..." Erasmus hesitatingly said.

"Is there a problem?" Bernard asked slowly as he stopped twirling his wand. Erasmus looked almost pained.

"No, there isn't a problem... But… Was shooting Fiendfyre at that girl really necessary? Her family had had no part in the war. They had moved from America when she was a baby, and you know how hard the American Wizarding Ministry tried to keep the war in Europe a secret. I'd say 99% of the American Wizarding population didn't know about Voldemort. She was innocent. What you did is almost reminiscent of what Voldemort would have done," Erasmus said bravely.

"DO NOT COMPARE ME TO HIM!" Bernard roared as Erasmus backed away in fear. "I am nothing like him! He worked to destroy everything while I am working to destroy what he created! The world has no business knowing about prejudice or hatred from a mad-man with warped ideologies! When will you learn that no one is innocent! Everyone is guilty. We need to keep that in mind, or we will become mad! It is best to not think too far into these things. Right and wrong do not apply here. Right and wrong have been corrupted for too long," Bernard said as he scratched his left arm.

"So what do we do now? We can't help Melissa now anyways," Erasmus said dejectedly.

"We plan. As I said before, Potter and Weasley will be sufficiently distracted for a while. So we plan while they chase after a dead-end lead," Bernard said as he looked Erasmus in the eye.

* * *

Harry Potter thought he had seen it all. The war had shown him many horrible things that he had wished he had never seen. But somehow this was different.

Maybe it was because he was an adult with children the same age as Melissa. Maybe it was because the only visible part of her body was her mouth: the rest of her body was covered in white bandages. Or maybe it was because no kid should ever have to go through the pain that she was obviously still going through.

Harry and Ron had stopped to talk to Dean before they entered the Burn-Unit. Dean had said that Melissa's burns were from Fiendfyre, but that it wasn't the normal Fiendfyre. Dean had never seen the version Melissa had been burned with before.

Dean said that Melissa would burst into controlled purple flames whenever the burns would start to heal themselves, which made sure that she was in a constant state of pain. It was almost too dangerous for the Healers to go in and attempt to heal her.

That made Harry and Ron's job that much harder. They only had a fifteen minute window in which they could talk to her before she became engulfed in flames.

The first fifteen minutes had been a bust. As soon as they went into the room, Ron ran back out because the smell of burnt flesh was too overpowering in the enclosed room. Harry could hear him barfing over the sounds of his own gags.

The second meeting hadn't gone well either. When Dean had gone up to talk to Melissa, she had kept asking for Harry Potter. Even after Harry had made his presence known, she had still continued to ask for him.

When Harry had questioned Dean about this, he had said that Melissa's mental state had gone through as much trauma as her body had. Dean has said that Melissa might not be able to form coherent thoughts or sentences for a week, or possibly a month at the longest. It was both heartbreaking and frustrating.

"Ron, I don't think we should stay here. Dean said that she might not be able to think clearly for a week, or possibly longer. I think our best course of action would be to put Melissa under Auror protection, and ask Dean to notify us immediately if there is any improvement. In the meantime, we should call the Order together once again. We need to be prepared. We also need to notify Melissa's parents and Headmistress McGonagall of what has happened tonight," Harry said wearily.

Ron nodded in agreement as he sent off his Patronus. "I invited the old DA members who weren't part of the Order to the meeting as well. We're going to need all the help we can get. I have a feeling that the only way this is going to end is through another war," Ron said sadly before he and Harry apparated away.

* * *

Rose knew something was wrong the moment she woke up. The Manor was silent, even more so than usual. At first Rose attributed the weirdness to the events of last night, but by the time she had showered and got dressed she knew that something else must have happened.

Rose tiptoed into Scorpius's room to find him sprawled eagle-legged on his stomach still fast asleep. Rose couldn't help but smile. Scorpius would still attempt to sleep in on Christmas morning.

Some thumps in the other room and a girlish squeal that could only have come from Lily made Rose realize that everyone else was just getting up. Except for Scorpius who was still snoring. Rose would just need to change that.

"CANON BALL!" Rose yelled as she jumped onto Scorpius's bed.

Rose couldn't help but laugh as Scorpius's body shot up from the force of her landing. Rose completely lost it when Scorpius's body missed the bed on the way back down and instead landed on the floor.

"WHAT THE FUCK YOU DAMNED WOMAN! Can't you see I was getting my beauty sleep?!" Scorpius yelled irritably.

All of a sudden the Scorpius's bedroom door opened to reveal, Hugo, Lily, Lorcan, Lysander, Mei, and Albus, all of whom traipsed into the room to sit on Scorpius's bed.

"Merry Christmas!" Lily said cheerfully as Lysander cuddled her from behind.

"Oh yes. A very Merry Christmas," Scorpius said sarcastically from his place on the floor, prompting everyone to laugh.

"Oh yes. Just laugh at my misery. Haha, hilarious," Scorpius drawled as Albus helped him up.

"Rose, why are you dressed?" Albus asked as he pointed at Rose's leggings, camisole, and wrap.

Rose blushed guilty. She knew that it was Weasley tradition to go down and open presents in their PJs, but she had felt uncomfortable this morning which had prompted her to put actual clothes on. That and because she was in someone else's house. She didn't know if Scorpius's family had different morning traditions than hers.

"I don't know. I just felt off this morning. Something didn't feel right. I got dressed because I didn't feel comfortable," Rose said truthfully.

"Yea, I felt weird too. Don't you find it weird that we're the only ones here? You'd think that James and Fred would have pulled a prank or something by now. Or at least that had been the plan," Hugo added.

Now everyone was starting to look a bit weirded out. Usually Christmas with the Weasley family was loud and rambunctious. Being in a different house shouldn't have changed that too much.

"There's really only one way to find out what the hell is going on. Flower knows everything that goes on in this maze of a house," Scorpius said as he called out to Flower.

"You called?" Flower asked as he apparated into the room.

"Yes. Flower, do you know what happened? Where is everyone?" Scorpius asked.

Flower looked conflicted for a couple of moments before he spoke. "Draco and Astoria have explicitly told me that I cannot relay the events of what happened after you guys fell asleep to you because you are not in the Order. What I can tell you is that all of your parents, and your older siblings and cousins are at an undisclosed meeting place with the Order to discuss an incident that happened last night. They were all called away by Ron Weasley's Patronus at around three this morning. Narcissa, Molly, and Arthur opted to stay behind with you kids. They are currently moving the presents under the tree and preparing your breakfast with the help of the kitchen elves," Flower said.

"But Rose, Albus, Mei, and I are of age! Why didn't they ask us to come with them! We would have joined the Order! I can't believe father didn't tell me about this," Scorpius said. He was rather put out and hurt.

"Scorpius, your father did not want you to join the Order while you are still at Hogwarts. He knows you are of age and are at the legal age to choose to be in the Order if you desperately want to be. However, your father, and the rest of your parents wish for you to finish your education before making that decision. They told me that you four have the option of finishing your education, whereas they did not. They are asking you to respect their decision to wait until you graduate in June before joining the Order," Flower said.

"But what about us! What are we supposed to do?" Lily asked angrily as she gestured to herself, Hugo, Lysander, and Lorcan.

Flower turned to address Lily and the others. "I have a message from your mother. She says that she knows how frustrating it is to be the youngest in a large family, and how it absolutely sucks not being able to help because of your age. However, Ginny also said that there are things you can do to help without being on the front lines of the impending war," Flower said as he paused for breath.

"War? Our parents think there's going to be a war?" Rose asked worriedly as she shared glances with Scorpius, Mei, and Albus.

"Sadly yes. However, Ginny said that she, Mr. Longbottom, and Mrs. Scamander were able to keep the DA alive and ready within the walls of Hogwarts during Voldermort's occupation of the school. Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and every former member of the DA have asked you guys to start a similar organization with students from forth year and up who are willing to learn both offensive and defensive spells. Harry as already cleared it with Headmistress McGonagall, and she has given her full support to the idea. Harry also has a message for Scorpius, Rose, and Albus. He said, 'Remember my last.' I'm sorry, but I have to go. Narcissa is requiring my assistance with a particularly large present," Flower said as he disapparated with a crack!

"Remember my last? What does that mean?" Lysander asked as everyone turned to look at the trio.

"My dad approached the three of us a little while ago about starting a similar organization to the DA. We're going to be the leaders, and we're going to prepare for the war," Albus said.

"What about when you three leave in June?" Hugo asked. He was already thinking ahead.

"Well, Uncle Harry was hoping that you, Hugo, and Lysander will have learned enough to step up and lead the students since we wouldn't be in school anymore. He has also suggested that Mei and Lorcan be our consultants," Rose said.

Hugo, and Lysander looked excited about the new prospect and their ability to help while Lorcan looked indifferent. In fact, he was looking up at the ceiling of Scorpius's bedroom. Lily had already known about the new organization.

"Did you know that there are Nargles in your bedroom? Someone hung garlands of mistletoe on your ceiling. Nargles love mistletoe," Lorcan said while continuing to stare at the ceiling.

Scorpius grimaced as he saw all the mistletoe. "It was my mother. She burst into my room yesterday before the party and went crazy with the mistletoe. She said that they were extras and that my father threw a hissy fit when she attempted to hang them in their room. So I guess my room was the perfect alternative. God forbid we throw away the extra mistletoe!" Scorpius said as he threw his hands in the air.

"I think it's good that you didn't throw them out! Nargles can't survive in the extreme cold!" Lorcan said.

Everyone turned to look at Lorcan in surprise. Even Lysander didn't know that about Nargles.

Scorpius's reply was cut off by Molly Weasley, who was yelling for them to come down to brunch and to open their presents.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please review :)


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: I need help naming the new student-run organization. I don't want to name it the DA or anything associated with Dumbledore. If anyone has ideas, please let me know :)

Also, please read the clarification notes at the end of this chapter.

Please enjoy this next chapter :)

* * *

Rose settled further into her chair as she snuggled into the comfy blue jumper her Nana Molly had knitted for Christmas as she listened to Albus, Scorpius, Mei, Lily, Lysander, Hugo, and Lorcan talk amongst themselves in the common room of the Head's dorm.

Rose was extremely happy to be back inside Hogwarts. It seemed that things were better inside the castle than outside. Hogwarts was a safe haven. It was its own impenetrable fortress of protection against the increasingly dangerous outside world. Rose was only too thankful for that after the events at Christmas time.

Rose stopped playing with the bracelet Scorpius had given her for Christmas as the conversation in the room took on a more serious tone. It seemed like now was as good a time as any to start planning their new defensive organization.

"I still think we should call it the Anti-Brotherhood League. The ABL for short," Hugo said as he placed his arms behind his head and placed his feet on the coffee table.

"Get your feet off the table, Hugo. Seriously, it's disgusting. Besides, we can't name it so obviously. The Brotherhood isn't above hurting children or students. We shouldn't give them any more reasons to attack. Naming our organization the Anti-Brotherhood League would be like a slap to the face. They wouldn't just ignore something as glaringly obvious as that. We need to be more subtle," Lily said as she attempted to shove Hugo's legs from the coffee table.

"Yeesh. No need to get testy. It was just a suggestion!" Hugo said as he ground his feet into the table to make Lily's job that much harder.

"OK, so the Anti-Brotherhood League is definitely out then. Does anyone else have any suggestions?" Scorpius asked as he dumped Hugo onto the floor. "That's for putting your stinky feet on my table," Scorpius said as Hugo got up glaring.

"Hmm," Albus said as he stroked his cheeks in thought. "My mum came up with Dumbledore's Army because at the time a horrible witch named Umbridge, who was backed by the corrupt Ministry and Fudge, decided that children didn't need to protect themselves against Voldemort because there was 'no way' that he had actually come back. Mum suggested Dumbledore's Army since it was what Fudge feared the most. Do we know what the Brotherhood is most scared of?" Albus asked as he glanced around the room.

"From what I can tell, the Brotherhood doesn't have any fears. They have a shocking disregard for life, including their own member's lives. It's pretty much the same as the Death Eaters," Mei said.

"Well, isn't the Brotherhood attempting to rid the world of so called corruption?" Or something along those lines?" Lysander asked.

"The Brotherhood is attempting to create a utopian world where prejudice and violence don't exist. They're maniacal, extremist hypocrites. Extremism is never the answer. The world already saw a war in which a megalomaniac tried to create his own dystopian world where Purebloods ruled supreme. Now we just have another megalomaniac some twenty years later trying to do the same thing by wiping out those who are prejudiced or had lived during times of prejudice. To them it's different, but it's the damn same to me. Different messages and goals, but the same tactics. Violence, intimidation, coercion. They aren't any better than the Death Eaters, even though they claim they are," Rose said bitterly. She could just feel her face turning red.

Everyone looked at Rose in shock. It was very rare for Rose to get mad. She was usually one to think things through before acting. But now Rose looked like she could easily kill someone.

"Easy there tiger," Albus joked. His grin faded when Rose turned to glare at him.

"Look. We know the Brotherhood hates being compared to the Death Eaters and to Voldemort's regime. Can we work with that?" Scorpius asked to diffuse what would have turned into a long fight between Albus and Rose.

"I suppose so," Lily said uncertainly as she snuggled up to Lysander.

"I don't see how mum came up with such an awesome name! Naming things is hard," Albus said as he began to pout.

"I still say we go with the Anti-Brotherhood League," Hugo said.

"No, Hugo," Rose, Lily, Scorpius, Albus, Mei, and Lysander all said with varying degrees of annoyance and frustration.

"Fine! Let's use some of your brilliant ideas then. Oh wait, you don't have any!" Hugo snapped back.

"Oh my God Hugo! You are so immature!" Lily said as she glared at Hugo. "We already told you why your idea wouldn't work! Stop acting like James and Fred!"

"Maybe I wouldn't have to act like them if everyone else would lighten the hell up! Seriously! You guys have all been involved in some sort of drama these last few years! Excuse me for trying to have fun and keep things light!" Hugo responded with more anger than anyone knew he was capable of. "You say I'm the one who needs to grow up! Well look in the damn mirror! You and all your stupid love drama. Don't accuse me of being immature when none of you were able to get your shit together. This accusation goes both ways from where I stand!" Hugo added before he left the common room with a bang!

Everyone was silent after Hugo's abrupt exit. No one really knew what to say. Their own personal dramas had seemed like the most important thing in the world, when in reality, they weren't that important at all.

"I didn't know he felt that way," Lily said in a small voice.

"I don't think anyone knew. Hugo bottles up his emotions. You don't know what he's feeling until he suddenly starts yelling," Albus said.

"I had thought he started acting like James and Fred so that he could get girls," Lysander said as Lily smacked him across the back of his head with a glare.

"The why or the how come doesn't matter. What matters is that he's right. We've been so caught up in our own dramas that we failed to see how it impacted those around us. I should go see if he's alright," Rose said as she got up to leave.

* * *

Rose knew exactly where to go. Scorpius liked to go down to the Quidditch pitch when he was angry, Albus liked to go to the lake, and she liked to go to the library. Hugo had always loved birds. Whenever he was upset, he would go to the Owlery.

When Rose entered the Owlery, she could hear Hugo talking to the birds. Rose could faintly hear snippets of a, "not fair" and, "show them immaturity" before making her presence known.

"Hugo, it's me. Can we talk?" Rose asked as she climbed the ladder to the first landing.

"Fine," Hugo said from his position amongst the birds.

Rose grimaced as she maneuvered her way onto the landing and around the numerous amounts of bird poop. When she finally got to where Hugo was sitting, she was sweating.

"Glad to see you finally made it," Hugo said sarcastically after having watched Rose's painfully slow maneuverings.

"I just wanted to see if you were OK. You left kind of suddenly," Rose said as she chose to ignore Hugo's veiled insult.

"Oh I'm fine. Peachy. It's just nice to know someone actually cares," Hugo said bitterly as he stroked the owl next to him.

"Of course we care Hugo! You're family, and I'm your sister! We kind of have to love you," Rose said as she attempted to joke.

But this time Hugo was serious. He wasn't smiling or making jokes. He was just staring moodily into space as he petted the owl.

"Really? Because it doesn't seem like anyone has actually cared for the longest time," Hugo finally said.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked concerned.

"You and Albus have always been close. And I understand that. It used to be the same with Lily and I. But then you and Al started to hang out with Scorpius. It was obvious from the start that you liked him. And it was obvious that he liked you, even though he didn't realize himself. So not only was Albus taking up your time, but now it was Scorpius. And then Lily started having feelings for Lysander. It had been the three of us, and then all of a sudden I was the third wheel. Even when Lily was with Brent I was still the third wheel. All Lysander would do was talk about Lily and hate on Brent. Not only was my sister preoccupied with some guy, but my two best friends didn't even care anymore. That's why I started hanging out with James and Fred. They were the next closest to us in age, and they seemed like they were always having a good time. Besides, pulling pranks got me attention. I wasn't just Rose's younger brother anymore. I was Hugo Weasley, the most innovative prankster since James and Fred," Hugo said.

Rose sat back and took in everything Hugo had said. She had had no idea that her brother had felt that way. He always seemed happy and carefree, which was something she had always been envious of.

"Hugo, why didn't you say anything? How were we supposed to know what you were feeling if you didn't say anything?" Rose asked.

"Would you have listened?" Hugo asked as he turned to look at Rose.

Rose honestly couldn't answer that question, which was very eye opening. She hadn't been the best sister or the best friend. Rose vowed to do better and to pay more attention in the future.

"I'm sorry Hugo. I've been a horrible sister. I was too caught up in my own problems to notice how you were feeling," Rose said ashamedly.

"You're not a bad sister Rose. You're a great person. You can just be a bit dense sometimes. Don't worry though. It runs in the family," Hugo joked with a smile.

Rose smiled back. She was happy to see Hugo back to being his upbeat self. Maybe hanging out with James and Fred had been a good thing for him. He was certainly more confident and self-assured than he had ever been. Too bad that self-assurance and confidence was born out of feelings of isolation and bitterness.

"Hugo, just promise that you'll talk to me if you're ever feeling like that again. It isn't healthy to bottle up your emotions like that," Rose said gently as she placed her hand on Hugo's shoulder.

It was Hugo's turn to grimace. "Yea... Blowing up on you guys probably wasn't the smartest idea. I guess Lily was right about the immature thing," Hugo said sheepishly.

"Yes and no. Lily's right. You bringing up the Anti-Brotherhood League when we had already kindly rejected the name was a bit immature. But, you aren't more immature than the rest of us. We all have our moments Hugo. One of your moments happened to fall at a time when emotions were already high strung. You shouldn't have brought it up, but Lily shouldn't have gone at you for it. You were both in the wrong," Rose said as she thought back to the events that had caused Hugo to leave.

Hugo and Rose lapsed into a comfortable silence as the owls hooted and fluttered all around them. It was quite relaxing and calming. Rose could easily see why Hugo loved being up here.

"It's really nice here Hugo. I can see why you always come up here," Rose said to break the silence.

"Yea, it's pretty great. And no one comes up here unless they really need to because of all the poop. Oh, and thanks Rose," Hugo said.

"You're welcome? What are you thanking me for Hugh?" Rose asked confused.

"For caring, and listening to what I have to say. It's hard enough as it is. Being part of a famous family, and being mum and dad's kids. Everyone expects us to be perfect, or to act a certain way. Sometimes I don't even know who I am because I'm too busy trying not to let everyone down," Hugo said as he fiddled with his hands.

"Remember how we were young and the paparazzi followed us everywhere?" Rose asked.

"When we were younger? They still follow us around everywhere when we're not at school," Hugo pointed out.

"Well, that is true... But remember that really bad story about how one of the tabloids printed that nasty argument saying that mum and dad were getting divorced and that they were fighting over us because the paparazzi happened to snap a picture during one of mum and dad's arguments? You were six and I was eight. Mum was yelling at dad because he had wanted to buy you a bunch of candy, and mum said no because we had already gone for ice cream. You were crying, and mum was yelling, and then dad started yelling back. I had my hands over my ears because I didn't want to hear them yelling. Since we were in Diagon Alley we were fair game for the paps, who took advantage of the fact that mum and dad had forgotten that we were in public. The next day while I was grocery shopping with mum, I saw the article. I started to cry because the magazine claimed that our family was falling apart. When mum saw me crying and asked me what was wrong, I showed her the article. Once mum saw the title, she apparated us home without any of our groceries. Do you remember what happened next?" Rose asked her brother who looked as if he was trying to remember what had happened that day.

"Vaguely. It's hard to remember though because it was ten years ago," Hugo finally said.

"Well, mum left me crying in the family room where you were playing while she went to find dad. You came up to me and gave me the biggest hug and told me it was going to be alright, even though you had no idea why I was upset in the first place. Then I did a stupid thing. I told you that it wouldn't be alright because mum and dad were getting divorced. Then you started to cry too. That's how mum and dad found us," Rose finished.

"Oh yea! Now I remember! We were both crying when mum and dad came back into the room. They both exchanged their 'look' that they do when they think we don't notice before they went to pick us up. Mum went to me and dad went to you. I remember that they just held us for a while until we were finally calm enough to listen," Hugo said.

"Mum showed us the magazine article that said they were getting divorced, and she showed us the picture the paparazzi took. She said that the media tends to sensationalize everything, just so that they have something juicy to write about. When she read the article out loud, it became apparent that the journalist and their so-called sources didn't have a clue what they were talking about. We all ended up crying because we were laughing so hard by the time she had finished reading. Mum then turned more serious. She told us that we would unfortunately be followed by the paparazzi all of our lives, and that the public would always be watching us because of the family we were born into. Mum said that we shouldn't be scared, but that we should take it in stride. She then said that we shouldn't pay attention to what they wrote about us because they would most likely be lies anyways. My favorite part was when mum said that we shouldn't feel the need to act like something we weren't just to get approval. By that time I was already being compared to mum. She said that the only thing we should be worried about was being ourselves. Hugo, what mum said ten years ago still stands today. You shouldn't ever feel that you need to act a certain way to get people to like you. People will like you for who you are, not who you think you need to be," Rose said.

Hugo was silent for a few minutes as he let the power of Rose's words sink in. "Hmmm, I wonder why you're always being compared to mum," Hugo said as he punched Rose on the shoulder lightly.

Rose just rolled her eyes. "Still making jokes I see," Rose teased.

"Yea, why not? I feel like jokes are just a part of my personality at this point. It feels natural. It doesn't feel forced. Maybe this is what I needed. I needed to gain more confidence. Although now people are saying that I may have overshot in that department," Hugo said with a wink.

"God forbid you get any cockier!" Rose said with an exaggerated eye roll. "But, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters," Rose said.

"Yes sifu Rose," Hugo said as he mock bowed.

"Hugo if you don't stop I'm going to be forced to hug you," Rose said as she held her arms out for a hug.

"No! Not a hug! Rose, get off! I have a reputation to maintain! Cool guys don't get hugs from their older sister! Rose!" Hugo said as he attempted to break free from Rose's vice-like grip.

"Stop being a baby Hugo! Enjoy the love! God forbid someone walks up here this late at night!" Rose joked as she finally let go of a disgruntled Hugo.

"Whatever. I should go. I don't want to be caught after curfew," Hugo said as he started climbing down the latter. "You coming?"

"In a bit. I'm Head Girl. I wouldn't get in trouble. I'm just going to stay up here a bit longer and think," Rose said.

Hugo just nodded and climbed down the latter. The last thing Rose heard before being enveloped in silence was, "I guess big sister hugs aren't the worst thing in the world."

* * *

Rose, Scorpius, and Albus were sitting in the Headmistress's office. Tonight was their monthly Anamagi lesson. They were supposed to have used the Christmas break for practice, but so much had happened that practice had become impossible.

"I take it that you didn't practice over break," McGonagall said as she glanced at the trio's nervous looking faces.

"We were going to, we swear. But after what happened at Malfoy Manor, practice just seemed impossible," Rose answered truthfully as Scorpius and Albus nodded.

McGonagall sighed. She hadn't really expected them to practice after she had found out about the events on Christmas Eve at the emergency meeting Harry and Ron had called. The children, which is what they still were in McGonagall's eyes despite them being legally of age, didn't even know about what had happened to Melissa. McGonagall hated that she needed to be the one to break the unwelcome news to them.

"I expected as much. We heard about what had happened at the Order meeting. It wasn't how any of us dreamed we would be spending our Christmas, but sometimes things can't be helped. But, now we must focus. It is imperative that you guys become Animagi. I will not sugar-coat things with you three. We are going to be involved in another war. The only question is when. Having three Animagi would be tremendous help to the Order, which I've heard you plan to join as soon as you graduate," McGonagall said as she looked at the three.

"We understand Professor. We want to stop these guys as much as you do," Scorpius said as Albus nodded furiously.

"I'm afraid you don't understand. At least not all of it. You still have classmates missing. We don't know whether they're alive, or if the Brotherhood has killed them like they did Nigel. Furthermore, Melissa was brutally attacked on Christmas Eve. She was the one who snuck the body into the Manor and wrote the message on blood. However, we do not think that she was the one who actually tortured, killed, and stripped Nigel of his skin. We think that she was attacked because she made a mistake in dismantling the wards on her way out. As of now, Melissa is in the burn ward in St. Mungo's with serious 3rd degree burns from a dangerous variation of Fiendfyre. Melissa's body bursts into horrendous purple colored flames every 15 minutes. Harry and Ron are trying to extract information from her, but we haven't had any luck so far since she has had serious psychological damage. The only coherent sentences we can get out of her is that she hates Rose Weasley. Apparently she is under the delusion that Rose was the one to end her and Scorpius's relationship. That was over a year ago. This does not bode well for her, or the Aurors," McGonagall finished gravely.

"That's horrible!" Rose said at the same time Albus said, "Melissa was in the Brotherhood?!" Scorpius for his part remained silent in shock.

"Yes she was Mr. Potter. We believe that she was the inside mole. Mole or not, she was still a student of Hogwarts. She was underage when she became involved in the organization," McGonagall said.

"But I caught her snooping! We should have just expelled her then!" Albus said enraged.

"At the time we had no reason to believe that Melissa was the mole. Are you saying you disagree with the numerous detentions I gave her at the time?" McGonagall asked dangerously.

"With all due respect, I think she should've been expelled! After all the shit she put Rose and Scorpius through? She was a bully! Besides, she chose to be in the Brotherhood! That to me seems like a bad egg. Rotten eggs can't become unrotten, no matter how hard they try," Albus said harshly. He missed Scorpius's quick look.

"You do not know enough to make those calls Albus. Although you are legally an adult, you are still quite young. You are too easily swayed by your emotions. People change. I have seen it all," McGonagall said as her eyes flashed.

Albus was about to respond, but he was cut off by Rose.

"Albus stop! It doesn't matter what she did in the past! What happened to her sounds horrible. No one deserves to be burnt with Fiendfyre. Besides, Scorpius's dad joined the Death Eaters! Look how much he's changed! Do you still consider Scorp's dad to be a bad egg? People change Al. It's all a part of growing up!" Rose said furiously. She had seen Scorpius's face when Albus had insinuated people couldn't change no matter how hard they tried.

"But that's completely different!" Albus said.

"No it's not! No matter how big of a bitch Melissa is, she is still capable of change. My dad was an ass all throughout his school days, but now he's one of the best people I know! Don't judge something unless you have all the facts Al!" Scorpius said.

Albus just stared at his friend in shock. It was usually Albus calling Scorpius out for being a jerk, not the other way around.

"I didn't mean that people couldn't change... It just seems unlikely that someone as self-centered as Melissa could care about anyone enough to make the effort to change," Albus said placating.

"Well, some people said that about my dad too," Scorpius said.

"Seriously Al. You need to work on your approach," Rose added.

"Anyways, I just wanted to let you three know about Melissa since it appears that the only thing she can remember is the breakup. Healer Thomas said that she may only remember that event since her mind had been so fixated on it prior to her attack, or because she simply is unable to recall any memories after that point. We all hope for the first. If it is the first, then her memories should be able to be recovered. If it is the second, then we wouldn't be able to get any useful information," McGonagall said as she steered the trio back to the topic at hand.

"But wouldn't the constant part about her bursting into flames every 15 minutes need to be addressed first before anyone tried to regain her memories?" Rose asked as she shuddered at the thought.

"Yes, it does. So far everything Healer Thomas and his team have tried has been fruitless. This is a variation on Fiendfyre. We fear that the only way to reverse the damage is to understand the meaning and workings of the spell itself. Your mother has been doing some independent research, but she hasn't found anything. Fiendfyre is highly potent and dangerous, so it has only been used a handful of times in history. Or at least to our written knowledge," McGonagall said.

"So what can we do?" Scorpius asked. He may not like Melissa, but no one deserved to go what she was going through.

"You three need to focus on becoming Anamagi. I understand that you have a lot on your plates with this being NEWT year, Head duties, and Quidditch Captain duties respectfully. However, it is highly imperative that you become full Anamagi before the school year has ended. I want you three to work diligently. I hope to see results at our next lesson. Another thing you can do is set up that defense organization that Harry has suggested you do. You will have the school's full backing, and any supplies you might need I will personally oversee to. You may use the Great Hall or the Room of Requirement. Whichever is more convenient to the three of you. Have you made any progress with that?" McGonagall asked.

"Well, we have enlisted the help of Mei, Lily, Hugo, Lysander, and Lorcan. We were trying to figure out a name for our organization. We were planning it a couple days ago," Albus said.

"Well I'm sure that the three of you can come up with a decent name. If you cannot, just make sure that you post notices in every common room under the guise of extra lessons in Defense Against the Dark Arts for years 4 and over. Those who are committed to the group will find out what it is really about at the meeting. That is another thing I hope to be updated on next lesson," McGonagall said.

Scorpius and Albus took that as their cue to leave. Rose was following right behind them when she heard the Headmistress ask her to stay behind for a few minutes.

"Rose, I think we need to talk," McGonagall said.

"What about?" Rose asked slightly nervous.

"I heard from an anonymous source that you may have used wandless magic a while back while you, Lily, and Mei were fighting against members of the Brotherhood. Is that true?" McGonagall questioned.

"Yes. I'm still not sure how it happened to be quite honest. I had lost my wand when I had fallen, so I was virtually defenseless. I kept on saying 'accio wand' over and over again as I tried not to panic. After a few tries my wand just flew back into my hand. Do you think it happened because I was stressed? Is that normal?" Rose asked.

"It is highly unusual. The last recorded Wandless was Merlin himself. Wandless magic seems to be an ability only awarded to the most powerful magical beings. Goblins and House Elves are able to do it easily, but wizards and witches have always struggled in that department. To answer your question; I do not believe your use of wandless magic was a coincidence or brought on by stress. If you really are a Wandless, you will be able to control your magic using your mind alone. This is incredibly rare and valuable Rose. Do you mind if we test this out?" McGonagall asked as Rose nodded wordlessly.

"I want you to leave your wand on my desk, and I want you to go and stand across the room at the door. Good. Now I want you to concentrate on your wand. I want you to try to summon it. For now, say the incantation aloud," McGonagall said.

Rose blushed but did as McGonagall said anyways. It seemed rather silly to say the incantation aloud without a wand in her hand. Nonetheless, Rose couldn't help but feel disappointed when nothing happened.

"Don't be discouraged. I didn't expect anything to happen the first time. Go on, try again," McGonagall said.

Rose nodded and tried again. This time her wand did a weird roll over movement before it fell to the ground in front of the desk. Rose lowered her eyes in concentration as she said the incantation once again, in a more determined and forceful voice.

Rose was surprised when the wand suddenly shot up from the floor and into her hand across the room. Her shock soon turned to excitement as an intense feeling of accomplishment spread through her body when she caught sight of McGonagall smiling proudly at her.

"Congratulations. I knew you could do it!" McGonagall said.

"Thanks! So does this mean I'm a true Wandless?" Rose asked.

"Yes, it does. I wish for you to take private lessons with me for the rest of the term. If you are to become an Anamagi and an accomplished Wandless with complete control, you may be unstoppable," McGonagall said.

"OK," Rose said somewhat hesitantly. Did she really want to be unstoppable? Wasn't that what Voldemort was trying to become? Unstoppable sounded like too much power. With great power comes great responsibility. Did Rose want that much responsibility in her life?

Those were the questions that kept circulating around in Rose's head as she headed back to the Head Dorms for some much needed sleep.

* * *

Thanks for reading! :) IMPORTANT! Read notes below for clarification.

 **To be clear, Melissa was the mole for the Brotherhood. She joined of her own violation, but she soon found herself to be in over her head. After not meeting Bernard's standards, Melissa was cursed to be in perpetual pain and her mind was messed up to the point where an entire year of her life is missing from her memories.**

 **Although Melissa did nasty things and appeared to be a nasty person, she is not as far gone as the likes of Bernard, Bellatrix, or Voldemort. There is still hope for her.**

 **Another clarifying note is that the Brotherhood knows about Rose, Scorpius, and Albus training to be Animagi. They do not know that Rose is a Wandless.**


End file.
